
Class __ 
Book __ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



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GENERAL vSTERLING PRICE, 



BATTLES 



-AND- 



Biographies of Missourians 



OR THE 



Civil War Period of Our State 



V By 
L. WEBB. 



^' 



Kansas City, Mo.: 

hudson-klmberly pub. co. 

1900. 



29578 




li-ibrsir'y of Coriv-ese 

I Two Copies REcr^ED | 
AUG 3 1900 I 

Copyright entry 

SECOND COPY. 

Delivered *o 

ORDER DtVlSlOM, 

67156 \mJ-^^ 

DEDICATION. 

To my Father and Mother, who courageously faced the 
hardships and sacrifices of the war, he as a soldier in the 
Confederate Army, she in supporting a helpless family, in exile 
under Order No. 11,1 affectionately dedicate this work. 

W. L. WEBB. 



Copyrighted 1900, 
By W. L. WEBB. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

Chapter I.— Why They Fought 7 

Chapter II. — Kansas Troubles 28 

Chapter III — Premonitions of War 40 

Chapter IV. — The Camp Jackson Affair 49 

Chapter V. — Lyon Declares War 57 

Campaign of the Missouri State Guards.— 

Chapter VI — First Great Movements 63 

Chapter VII.— Price's Army 71 

Chapter VIII.— Battle of Wilson Creek 75 

Chapter IX. — From Springfield to Lexington 87 

Chapter X. — Battle of Lexington. 94 

Chapter XL — From Lexington to Pea Ridge 108 

Chapter XII.— From Des Arc to Corinth 116 

Chapter XIII. — From Vicksburg to Peace 126 

Chapter XIV.— The Battle of Independence 135 

Chapter XV. - The Battle of Lone Jack. . 147 

Chapter XVI. — Newtonia, Cane Hill, and Prairie Grove. . . 168 

Chapter XVII — The Raids of Marmaduke and Shelby 179 

Chapter XVIII —The Battle of Helena 187 

Chapter XIX. -Banks and Steele Defeated 195 

Price's Great Raid.— 

Chapter XX. — From Dardanelle to Lexington 207 

Chapter XXL— From Lexington to Westport 218 

Chapter XXIL— The Battle of Westport o , o .226 

Chapter XXIIL— The Retreat 240 

Chapter XXIV. -Order No. 11 247 

Chapter XXV.— Quantrell and His Men 265 

Chapter XXVI.— The Story of Doniphan 278 

Biographicai.. — 

Chapter XXVIL— General Sterling Price 283 

Chapter XXVIIL— Claiborne F. Jackson 294 

Chapter XXIX.— General Jo. O. Shelby 305 

Chapter XXX.— General John S. Marmaduke 311 

Chapter XXXI.— Bledsoe of Missouri. ... 316 

Chapter XXXIL— Colonel Upton Hays 322 



4 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

Chapter XXXIII.— Other Biographies 326'> 

Major John M. Edwards 326> 

R. Iv. Yeager 331 

Major B. L. Woodson 333 

H. V. P. Kabrick .334 

F. M. Webb 335 

Captain Wm. H. Gregg 336 

Lieutenant Hopkins Hardin 337 

Colonel John B. Stone 338 

J.M.Lowe 340 

Colonel John T. Hughes 342 

Captain W. F. Wilkins 345 

Colonel W. F. Cloud 349 

General Gideon W. Thompson 353 

W. A. Knight 356- 

Samuel H. Chiles 358 

Wm. E. Cassell 359 

Captain Schuyler Lowe 360 

Captain Turner A. Gill. ■ • • 360 

Colonel John C. Moore 362 

Colonel John N. Southern 363 

Captain A. A. Lesueur 365- 

Captain S. C, Ragan 366- 

Major H. J. Vivian 367" 



INTRODUCTION. 

If any here, 
By false intelligence or wrong surmise, 
Hold me a foe; 

If I unwittingly or in my rage 
Have aught committted that is hardly borne 
By any in this presence, I desire 
To reconcile me to his friendly peace. 
'Tis death to me to be at enmity — 
I hate it, and desire all men's love. 

— Shakespeare. 

Dining the Civil War 487 battles were fought 
in the State of Missouri. Such a display of the 
war passion almost demands an apology to the 
civilized world. But the Avorld will applaud the 
military activity of our people when it compre- 
hends the conditions which alone are answerable 
for so much bloodshed. These conditions are un- 
folded in the first five chapters. Then follow 
seven chapters dealing distinctively with the suc- 
cesses and failures of the Missouri State Guards. 
This was a remarkable organization with a re- 
markable career, heretofore insufficiently dis^tin- 
guished by historians from Confederate troops. 
During the first year of the war there were practi- 
cally no Confederate soldiers in Missouri. All'the 
fighting occurred between the State Guards and 
the Federal troops. The Missouri State Guards 
marched and fought under the flag of Missouri, 
an ensign made of blue merino, with the coat-of- 
arms of the State emblazoned in gold on both 
sides. The purposes of the State Guards was to 
repel invasion and to hold the State in an atti- 
tude of armed neutrality. After the battle of Pea 
Ridge, the State Guards were gradually absorbed 
into the Southern Confederate service. 

Ta^^o chapters are devoted to the operations 



6 INTRODUCTION. ' 

of the Missoiirians in the Cis-Mississippi Depart- 
ment, and two chapters to the operations of Mis- 
sourians in Arkansas. The chief battles, raids, 
and campaigns in the State are outlined. Quan- 
trell and his men and Order No. 11 each have a 
chapter. Especial attention is given throughout 
the book to the movements of armies. The reader 
will understand how the two forces at any battle 
happened to be there, whence they came and 
whither they go. 

I have indulged in no sensational or blood- 
curdling recitals. The nobler aspects of war 
should alone be accentuated by the writer who 
aspires to perpetuity in his work. To this higher 
standard of history I have attempted to conform 
my labors. 

The book closes with biographical reviews of a 
few only of the men who made the war period oT 
our State immortal. ThCvSe biographies are sup- 
plemental to the main work, in connection with 
which they should be read. 

The book is written from the Southern stand- 
point, but it is not partisan. The Southern sol- 
dier will find here no fulsome laudation of the 
^^Lost Cause.'' I have written the truth about 
him; that is praise enough. I have withheld no 
meed of praise from any Federal soldier who has 
come within the purview of my subject. A few 
Federal biographies are inserted. 

The hot passions engendered by the Civil War 
are dead and cannot live again; therefore, I have 
written without constraint and have not hesitated 
to utter the truth. 

W. L. Well. 

Independence, Mo., July 4, 1900. 



Chapter 1. 

WHY THEY FOUGHT. 

I will allow a thing to struggle for itself in this world, with 
any sword or tongue or implement it has, or can lay hold of. We 
will let it preach and pamphleteer and fight, and to the utter- 
most bestir itself, and do, beak and claw, whatsoever is in it; 
very sure that it will, in the long run, conquer nothing which 
does not deserve to be conquered. What is better than itself it 
cannot put away, but only what is worse. In this great duel. 
Nature herself is umpire, and can do no wrong: the thing which 
is deepest-rooted in Nature, what we call truest, that thing and 
not the other will be found growing at last. — Garlyle. 

There was no delusion about it. The people 
of the two sections understood clearly and defi- 
nitely what impelled them to the issue of arms. 
The War of the Rebellion was not the project of 
ambitious men. It was the people's war and it 
was fruitful of lasting good to the human race. 
The two sections were equally right — and equally 
wrong, and every victory of one was ultimately 
a victory for the other. From the time of the 
constitutional convention to the election of Lin- 
coln, negro slavery had obtruded itself in some 
form into the consideration of nearly every great 
question that occupied public attention. The 
North and South fell apart, divided on many 
problems that harassed the minds of men from\ 
the beginning of our independence, but matters 
pertaining to slavery alone gave edge to sectional: 



8 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80UR1ANS. 

antipathy and furnished all the irritation and all 
the excitement necessary for the precipitation of 
the bloody conflict. There were causes remote 
and immediate. The proximate causes of the war 
may be uttered in two words — the Underground 
Eailroad operated by the North and the Fugitive 
Slave Law enacted for the South. For forty year^ 
the Underground Railroad pertinaciously carried 
negroes, aggregating many thousands, from South- 
ern slavery to Northern freedom. The South be- 
came exasperated at this ruinous pillage, and in 
1850 secured the passage of a new Fugitive Slave 
Law. This was a brutal, inhuman law, enacted 
with the hope of estopping the nefarious opera- 
tions of the Underground Railroad. 

The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive 
Slave Law — these wrought the temper of the 
divided nation to the pitch and strain of revolu- 
tion. The North would have seceded had not the 
South done so. The experiment of disunion had to 
be tried before the sections could be welded into a 
nation. 

As early as the days of Washington the Quak- 
ers had a secret society in Philadelphia whose ob- 
ject was to promote the escape of slaves into Can- 
ada. Societies consecrated to the same cause con- 
tinued to multiply, and by the year 1820 were nu- 
merous. By the year 1840 these societies were in 
systematic operation, not only all over the North, 
but also throughout the slave States. 

A negro escaping from his master was clandes- 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. 9 

tinely conducted at night from one "station" to 
another. He was hidden during the day in some 
barn or cellar. Sometimes the fugitives traveled 
in companies, and the business was wholesale. 
The operators used steamboat and steamship lines, 
railroads, canals, and road wagons. There were 
stations in the principal cities of the country. 

There died in St. Louis, in the summer of 1899, 
a man by the name of Evens, in whose veins was 
negro blood. Evens was one of the trusted oper- 
ators of the Underground Railroad. He kept a 
wagon yard and a supply of large boxes. He 
w^ould secrete a negro fugitive in one of these boxes 
during the night, and next morning he would load 
the box into his wa^on and drive boldly and leis- 
urely dow^n to the river and then cross the ferry 
to the Illinois side. He returned with the box 
empty. 

The negro slaves soon heard of the avenues of 
escape. White abolitionists who settled or trav- 
eled in the South spread the information among 
the negroes, giving them minute details. Ohio, 
always opposed, in the abstract, to slavery, hired 
each year, from Kentucky and Virginia, on an av- 
erage of 2,000 negro slaves. These heard of Can- 
ada and the settlements of the free negroes in the 
Northern States. The slave-holders used to at- 
tempt to counteract abolition persuasion among 
the negroes by representing to them the rigors of 
the Northern climate. 

The number of escapes of negroes by the Un- 
2 



10 BATTLES AND BIOORAPEIEB OF MIS80URIAN8. 

derground Railroad was variously estimated. 
One congressman placed the number at 100,000 
for the period of forty years ending with 1850. A 
congressional committee reported in 1861 that the 
number of fugitive slaves had greatly decreased 
in the preceding decade, but the census of 1860 is 
known to be erroneous on this subject. Senator 
Trusten Polk, of Missouri, in a speech in the 
Senate, January, 1861, said : 

*' Underground Railroads are established, 
stretching from the remotest slave-holding States 
clean up to Canada. Secret agencies are put to 
work in the very midst of our slave-holding com- 
munities to steal away slaves. * * * This 
lawlessness is felt with especial seriousness in the 
border slave States. * * * Hundreds of thou- 
sands of dollars are lost annually. * * * i^en- 
tucky loses annually as much as |200,000. The 
other border States no doubt lose in the same 
ratio, Missouri much more. 

"But all these losses and outrages, all this dis- 
regard of constitutional obligation and social duty 
are as nothing in their bearing upon the Union in 
comparison with the animus, the intent and pur- 
pose of which they are at once the fruit and the 
evidence.'' 

Prof. Wilbur H. Siebert, of the Ohio Univer- 
sity, has published a large volume, entitled "The 
Underground Railroad.'' He closes the work with 
this sentence: "The Underground Railroad was 
one of the greatest forces which brought on the 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. 



11 



Civil War and thus destroyed slavery.'' He pub- 
lishes in the book a map streaked with interwoven, 
complicated red lines, exhibiting clearly the Un- 
derground Eailroad system on land and sea. The 
author says: "Thus it happened that in the 
course of sixty years before the outbreak of the 
War of the Eebellion the Northern States became 
traversed by numerous secret pathways leading 
from Southern bondage to Canadian freedom.'- 
The introduction to the book says: "In aiding 
fugitive slaves the abolitionist was making the 
most effective protest against the continuance of 
slavery; but he Avas also doing something more 
tangible; he was helping the oppressed, he was 
eluding the oppressor, and at the same time he was 
enjoying the most romantic and exciting amuse- 
ment open to men who had high moral standards. 
He w\as taking risks, defying laws, and making 
himself liable to punishment, and yet could glow 
with the healthful pleasure of duty done. * * 
The Underground Eailroad was simply a form 
of combined defiance of national law^s, on the 
grounds that those laws were unjust and oppres- 
sive. It was the unconstitutional but logical re- 
fusal of several thousand people to acknow^ledge 
that they owed any regard to slavery or were 
bound to look upon a fleeing bondsman as prop- 
erly of the slave-holder, no matter how the laws 
read. * * * It gave opportunity for the bold 
and adventurous; it had the excitement of piracy, 
the secrecy of burglary, the daring of insurrection; 



12 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

to the pleasure of relieving the poor negro's suffer- 
ings, it added the triumph of snapping one's fingers 
at the slave-catcher. * * * As yet we know 
too little of the anti-slavery movement which so 
profoundly stirred the Western States, including 
Missouri and Kentucky, and which came closely 
into contact with actual conditions of slavery." 

The most prominent figure in Underground 
Railway circles was that of John Brown, a brave, 
fanatical man, who operated from the Missouri- 
Kansas border and finally at Harper's Ferry. His 
last exploit was intended to be an open consumma- 
tion of fifty years of secret Underground Railroad 
l^rojects. His action at Harper's Ferry stirred the 
South with a profound and intense excitement. 
The long-dreaded servile insurrection seemed near 
at hand and the South shuddered. The fact was 
then unknown that the negro race is incapable of 
any united and sustained effort. John Brown 
gave more oil to the fire of sectional hate in one 
day than had all other abolitionists in fifty years. 

The South held a vested property right in negro 
slaves and openly denounced as a thief any man 
who took such i^roperty from rightful owners. 
The Underground Railway, therefore, was re- 
garded as a system of wholesale pillage, and in 
bearing it for fifty years th-e South thought itself 
very patient. The North as a whole disavowed the 
doctrine of abolitionism and condemned the Un- 
derground Railroad, but the people of the North 
were a unit in denouncing the sin of slavery. And 



WET THEY FOUGHT. 13 

all the people of the North united in a campaign 
against slavery, the most remarkable campaign 
the world has ever witnessed. They denounced 
slavery in the papers, in books, in pami)hlets, from 
pulpits, from rostrums and platforms; by resolu- 
tions in conventions, in societies and legislatures. 
Tlie}^ sent petitions to Congress voluminously 
signed and they packed the mail-bags with incen- 
diary documents intended to incite the slaves to 
insurrection. Congress Avas flooded every morn- 
ing with resolutions from legislatures praying 
that the Union be dissolved or that hostile action 
be taken against slavery. Jeff Davis said in a 
speech: ^^Sir, it is a melancholy fact that, morn- 
ing after morning, when we come here to enter up- 
on the business of the Senate, our feelings are har- 
rowed up by the introduction of this exciting and 
profitless subject, and we are compelled to listen 
to insults heaped upon our institutions.'' 

The South was exasperated at the North for 
such expressions of antipathy toward the institu- 
tion of slavery. Underground Railroad charters 
were seen in Whittier's and Lucy Larcom's poems, 
in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and in all the range of 
Northern literature. The Underground Railroad 
system had its franchise in Northern public 
sentiment 

In 1850 the South secured the passage of the 
new Fugitive Slave Law. The North was in- 
stantly overrun with slave-hunters; coarse men — 
usually hired agents — who found as much pleasure 



14 BATTLED A^'D BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURI AN 8. 

in reclaiming a negro as the Underground Rail- 
road operator did in kidnapping him. 

The immediate effect of the new Fugitive 
Slave Law was to stimulate the business of the 
Underground Railroad, which at once received 
public recognition and aid in the passage of Per- 
sonal Liberty Laws in all the Northern States. 

The human race has not yet produced a people 
who would not fight under such conditions. 

Each section was incensed and outraged by the 
actions, the sentiments, and the laws of the other. 

The Fugitive Slave Law^ was brutal in its 
terms; and it was executed upon the Northern peo- 
ple by inhuman processes. A slave-ow^ner, or his 
agent, might pursue andpersonally arrest a fugitive 
slave; he might command the assistance of any by- 
stander. All federal officials and all the machin- 
ery of the federal law were at his service. The 
law of 1850 imposed judicial duties, in the arrest 
and return of fugitive slaves, on the United States 
commissioners, on the judges of the United States 
circuit and district courts, on judges of territorial 
courts, and on such special commissioners as the 
various courts might appoint. The United States 
commissioners had power to arrest and imprison 
any citizen for offenses against the United States. 
It was the duty of all United States marshals to 
execute all warrants and processes of judges and 
commissioners. A fugitive slave, upon being ar- 
rested, was brought before a judge or commis- 
sioner, whose duty it was to summarily dispose of 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. I5 

the case. The testimony of the fugitive was not 
admissible. No jury was permitted in such 
cases. The ownership of a horse might be tried 
before a jury, but not the ownership of a negro. 
This was not so unreasonable as it appears to be. 
A jury of Northern citizens would have been un- 
prejudiced in the case of a horse; in the case of a 
negro the verdict would have been regarded as a 
foregone conclusion. By the abuse of the Fugitive 
Slave Law, the legally free negroes of the North 
were in danger of arrest and transportation to the 
South. The law was a dangerous exercise of fed- 
eral power and was directly subvertive of the State 
rights doctrine so strongly advocated by the South. 
But if the Fugitive Slave Law was brutal and in- 
human, so was the condition against which it was 
intended to militate. Both the Fugitive Slave 
Law and the Underground Kailroad were respon- 
sible for theft and murder. 

To counteract the outrageous processes and the 
enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law^, fourteen 
of the free States enacted what came to be known 
as the Personal Liberty Laws. The laws of Maine 
provided that no sheriff, deputy sheriff, coroner, 
constable, jailer, justice of the peace, or other offi- 
cer of the State should arrest or detain, or aid in 
so doing, in any prison or building belonging to the 
State, or in any county or town, any person on 
account of a claim on him as a fugitive slave, 
under penalty not exceeding |1,000, and made it 
the duty of ail county attorneys to repair to the 



16 BATTLES AND BIOGBAFHIES OF MimOURIANS. 

place where such person was held in custody, and 
render him all necessary and legal assistance in 
making his defense against said claim. 

The statutes of New Hampshire declared that 
slaves coming or brought into the State by or 
with the consent of the master should be free; to 
hold a slave was felony. 

The laws of Vermont held that no court, justice 
of the peace, or magistrate should take cognizance 
of any certificate, warrant, or process under the 
Fugitive Slave Law, and provided that no officer or 
citizen of the State should arrest or aid and assist 
in arresting any person for the reason that he was 
claimed as a fugitive slave. 

This Northern exercise of State rights was not 
ax>preciated by the South. 

The people of the two sections were thus face 
to face in enmity and war w^as inevitable. Yet the 
disputes arising out of questions of slaver}^ were 
inadequate to raise such a war as broke out in 
1861. These disputes would have been com- 
promised again and again, as they had ever been; 
but other questions pressed to the front for settle- 
ment and assassinated compromise. The burden 
of all other questions fell on the shoulders of the 
institution of slavery. Superficial observers have 
said that slavery caused the war. Slavery indi- 
cated the point of friction; here was the excite- 
ment, the agitation, but back of slavery were 
the impact and momentum of such heavy questions 
as the tariff, State rights, construction of the Con- 



WHT THEY FOUGHT. 17 

stitution, alternate admission of Northern and 
Southern States to the Union, acquisition of new 
territory (known in our day as "expansion"), the 
extension of slavery into new territory, and some 
others. Slavery questions might be compromised ; 
these others could not be compromised, being fun- 
damental. They had to be referred to the arbitra- 
ment of the sword. 

Among the questions up for determination by 
the war was the question as to the right of a 
State to secede. The war settled the question of 
secession, settled it forever and settled it right; 
settled it no less for the North than for the South. 
And the question of secession needed to be set- 
tled for the North even more than for the South. 

For seventy years after the Constitution went 
into operation, the people of the North taught the 
doctrine of secession, and often threatened, even 
attempted, to put it into practice. 

Mr. Pow^ell, in "Secession and Nullification in 
the United States," says: "The effort of eleven 
States to break loose from the Union in 1800-61 
was not an episode dependent on a novel reading 
of constitutional rights, nor was it solely a con- 
sequence of the desire to perpetuate a social sys- 
tem based on slavery. It is a very partial and a 
very partisan reading of American history that 
fails to see that from the acceptance of the Consti- 
tution in 1790 there had been a tendency to assert 
the right of States to nullify national enactments 
or even to sever their relation to the Union. This 



18 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. i ^ 

has been a shifting sentiment; asserted now at the 
South and now at the North. Overt acts have 
been six in number. The first of these occurred 
in 1798, and in Virginia and Kentuck}^ took 
the shape of nullification resolutions. The sec- 
ond was the effort of New England, in 1803, 
to create a Northern Confederacy, consisting 
of five New England States with New York 
and New Jersey. The third was the desperate 
effort of Vice-President Burr to create a cleava<i:e 
in the Southwest, including the Mississippi Val- 
ley, and, hopefully, of Ohio. The fourth in the 
disagreeable list was the practical withdrawal of 
the NeAV England States from cooperation in the 
War of 1812-14; ending in a convention of those 
States to formulate sectional autonomy. The 
fifth act was in the form of nullification, and was 
confined to South Carolina. The sixth and final act 
w^as that of 1861, when eleven States withdrew 
their representatives from Washington, and cre- 
ated a distinct Confederacy. We may concede 
that in all these cases the result involved a whole- 
some discussion of federal problems.^' 

Wendell Phillips, the apostle of abolitionism, 
for years advocated a peaceable separation of the 
sections as a means of abolishing slavery. He 
said: "Here are a series of States girding the 
Gulf who think their peculiar 'isms' require a 
separate government. They have a right to decide 
that question without appealing to me or you." 

The New York Herald advocated the recon- 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. 19 

striietiou of the Uuioii, with New En^hind k^fl 
out. Horace Greeley wrote in February, 1861: 
^'If the cotton States choose to form an independ- 
ent nation, the}^ have a clear right to do so." After 
the election of Lincoln came the first intimation 
that a seceding State might be coerced back into 
the Union. It was a bold, startling intimation, 
new to the country, and elicited from Horace 
Greeley the vigorous announcement that soldiers 
marching into the South for any such unholy pur- 
pose would be fired upon in the rear by Northern 
men w^ho believed the right of secession to be 
sacred. The North had taught the right of seces- 
sion for seventy years, and for seventy years de- 
sired a government separate from the South. The 
firing on Fort Sumter reversed the North in one 
day. Greeley and Phillips and all the rest who 
thought they believed in the right of secession, 
and in the propriety of separation, fell into line 
for the Union and for coercion. The world was 
astonished at them ; they were astonished at them- 
selves. The Constitution suddenly became sacred 
and the Union indissoluble. They had denounced 
the Constitution as a compact with the devil, in 
league with hell. They had proclaimed a higher 
law than the Constitution. The South was about 
to dissolve the Union in order to save the prlucipl s 
of the Constitution; the North determined to pre- 
serve the Constitution by maintaining the Union. 
Those of the North who have condemned the 
South as traitorous have condemned their own an- 



20 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOUBIANS. 

tececlents, their own history, and the sentiment and 
past conduct of their own people. One thought of 
the attitude of the North at the Hartford Conven- 
tion ought to check any man who attempts to ap- 
ply the word ^^traitor" to the South for its action in 
1861. It was long the habit of the North to ap- 
ply bitter language to the South. Alexander H. 
Stephens, the brainiest man of the South, in re- 
ply to a letter from President Lincoln concerning 
the Rebellion, said that the South was resenting 
the moral opprobrium heaped upon them by the 
North. Perhaps if the North had used more gen- 
teel language toward the South, there would have 
been no war. 

Mr. Powell, above referred to, says : ''It is time 
to deal justly by the South; and recognize its full 
share in the better part of nation-building; while 
at the same time we do not overlook the diverse 
obligations that naturally fell upon the comple- 
mentary sections. It is easy for either North or 
South to perceive the blunders in action and de- 
fects of character of the opposite section; it is dif- 
ficult to generously measure each other's achieve- 
ments, and to help atone for each other's errors.". 

In conclusion, I quote briefly from Jeff Davis, 
John Sherman, Henry Clay, Thos. Benton, Repre- 
sentative McDuflfte, and the majority and minority 
reports of the committee in the Missouri State Con- 
vention, known as the "Gamble Convention." 

From the beginning Congress had admitted 
States into the Union alternately, one from the 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. 21 

North and one from the South. Jeff Davis said of 
the great contest: ^'It is a struggle for the main- 
tenance or the destruction of that balance of power 
or equipoise between North and South which was 
early recognized as a cardinal principle in our fed- 
eral system. '• 

Sherman said : "They [the people of the South] 
had cultivated a bitter sectional enmity, amount- 
ing to contempt, for the people of the North, grow- 
ing partly out of the subserviency of large portions 
of the North to the dictation of the South, but 
chiefly out of the wordy violence and disregard of 
constitutional obligations by the abolitionists of 
the North. — ^herman^s ''Recollections.^^ 

Benton said in a speech before the United 
States Senate: "Wealth has fled from the South 
and settled in the regions north of the Potomac. 
Under this legislation [tariff] the exports of the 
South have been made the basis of the federal 
revenue, Virginia and the two Carolinas defraying 
three-fourths of the national expense.'' ^ 

Representative McDuffie, of South Carolina, 
said in Congress: "Sirs, if the union of these 
States shall ever be severed and their liberties sub- 
verted, the historian who records these disasters 
will have to ascribe them to measures of this de- 
scription [tariff]." 

Clay, at the same time, said: "The danger to 
the Union does not lie on the side of persistence 
in the protective system, but on that of its aban- 
donment.'' 



22 BATTLES AND BIOChRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

The majority report of the ^^Gamble Conven- 
tion'' committee reviewed the causes which led 
to the war, as follows: 

^'If, in our astonishment at the sudden disrup- 
tion of our nation, we attempt to trace the causes 
that produced the disastrous results, we find that 
the origin of the difficulty is rather in the alienated 
feelings existing between the northern and south- 
ern sections of our country, than in the actual in- 
jury suffered by either; rather in the anticipation 
of future evils, than in the pressure of any now 
actually endured. 

"It is true that the people of the Southern States 
have a right to complain of the incessant abuse 
poured upon their institutions by the press, the 
pulpit, and many of the people of the North. It is 
true that they have a right to complain of legisla- 
tive enactments designed to interfere with the as- 
sertion of their constitutional rights. It is true 
that the hostile feeling to Southern institutions 
enter^ined by many of the North has manifested 
itself in mob violence, interfering with the exe- 
cution of laws made to secure the rights of 
Southern citizens. It is true that in one instance 
this fanatical feeling has displayed itself in the 
actual invasion of a Southern State by a few mad- 
men, who totally misunderstood the institution 
they came to subvert. It is true that a sectional 
political party has been organized at the North, 
based upon the idea that the institution of South- 
ern slavery is not to be allowed to extend itself 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. 23 

into territory of the United States, and that this 
party has for the present possessed itself of the 
power of the Government. Whilst it is thus true 
that the people of the South have well-grounded 
complaints against many of their fellow-citizens of 
the North, it is equally true that heretofore there 
has been no complaint against the action of the 
Federal Government in an}^ of its departments, as 
designed to violate the rights of the Southern 
States. By some incomprehensible delusion, many 
Northern people have come to believe that in some 
way they are chargeable with complicity in what 
they are pleased to consider the sin of slavery. 
* * This morbid sensitiveness has been minis- 
tered to b}^ religious and political agitators for the 
purpose of increasing their own importance and 
advancing their own interests, and the natural con- 
sequences have followed: outbursts of mob vio- 
lence and of political action against the owners of 
slaves. * * * * 

^'Upon the subject of violent interference by 
mobs with the execution of the Fugitive Slave 
Law, and the forcible abduction of slaves when 
with their owners in the Northern States, it is 
proper to observe there reigns throughout the land 
a spirit of insubordination to law that is proba- 
bly unequalled in any other civilized country on 
the globe.'' This report was written by Judge 
Gamble. 

The minority report said: ^^When we look 
back over the history of our country, we see arising 
in the Northern States an anti-slavery party, 



24 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

whose sole cohesive principle was a bitter hostility 
to the slave institutions of the Southern States. 
At first that party was weak, its members few and 
scattered abroad and considered by the Northern 
people themselves as mischievous fanatics; it con- 
tinued gradually, but steadily, to increase until 
political parties began to court its aid. * * * 
They violated the compact that united them to 
their sister States of the South. By that compact, 
they had covenanted that a fugitive slave found 
within their borders should be delivered up, upon 
demand of his master. They have violated their 
compact : 

"1st. By failing to enact laws providing for 
his delivery. 

"2d. By refusing the master aid, permitting 
their lawless citizens to deprive him of his prop- 
erty by mob violence. 

"3d. When Congress interposed for his relief 
by the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Law, they 
trampled that law under foot, and nullified it by 
deliberate State legislation." 

KETROSPECTION. 

The centripetal and centrifugal forces in our 
political system manifested their presence at the 
Constitutional Convention in 1787. Hamilton and 
his followers wanted a constitution that gave great 
power to the general (xovernment. The opponents 
to Hamilton's policy, led afterwards by Jefferson, 
insisted on leaving the largest possible power with 
the respective States. These two forces required 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. 25 

the Constitutional Convention to resort to many 
compromises. 

Our Constitution is a bundle of compromises. 

The convention wrote three compromises in the 
Constitution on the subject of slavery, while simi- 
lar devices went to other subjects. The result was 
an instrument which Gladstone denominated the 
most wonderful work ever "struck off at a given 
time by the brain and purpose of man," but which 
our fathers accepted with grave misgivings. Only 
nine of the thirteen States accepted the Constitu- 
tion, barely enough to set the new government in 
operation. New York ratified the Constitution, 
but in doing so called upon all ratifying States to 
make immediate application to the new Congress, 
presently to meet, for the authorization of a new 
Constitutional Convention, and at the same time 
specified thirty-three amendments which alone 
would bring the new system to any tolerable de- 
gree of perfection. Massachusetts demanded nu- 
merous amendments in her act of ratification. 
Discontent with the new sj^stem was very general. 
Pennsylvania ratified promptly — by fraud, it was 
charged. Left to a popular vote, the Constitution 
would have been rejected. The ratifying Colonies 
did not like each other. They never had liked 
each other. The foolish effort of King George the 
Third to impose upon them a personal government 
had driven them into a constrained and unwilling 
unity. Scarcely had independence been achieved 
when the Colonies began to harass each other with 
tariff schedules. 



26 BATTLES AND BIOQRAPEIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

At the beginning of the Revolution, Virginia 
was in closer touch with England than with Mas- 
sachusetts. In Pennsylvania and New York the 
Tory party at all times prior to the actual begin- 
ning of hostilities largely outnumbered the Whig 
party. Fiske, in his "Critical Period/' says: "It 
was not simply free Massachusetts and slave-hold- 
ing South Carolina, or English Connecticut and 
Dutch New York, that misunderstood and ridiculed 
each other; but even between such neighboring 
States as Connecticut and Massachusetts, both of 
them thoroughly English and Puritan and in all 
their social conditions exactly alike, it used to be 
said that there Vv^as no love lost." The Colonies 
ceased to levy tariffs against each other with the 
adoption of the Constitution, but the tariff habit 
was continued, being transferred to a wide plane, 
whereby one section gained material advantage at 
the expense of the other section. Negro slavery at 
the South had a marked influence in unifying that 
section against the tariff aggression of the North. 
Rightly understood, negro slaves saved the Union 
for seventy years by solidifying the South against 
the disintegrating tendencies of the North. 

At the beginning of the nineteenth century two 
men, one a philanthropist, the other a soldier, and 
each a statesman, Jefferson and Napoleon, con- 
tributed to the history of the world a chapter which 
was rife with the shadows of civil war. If there 
had been no Louisiana Purchase, there would have 



WHY THEY FOUGHT. 27 

been no war of the Rebellion. Strife and dissen- 
tion were born of the expansion of 1803. 
; From the beginning there had been recogniza- 
bly a North and a South. Congress early estab- 
lished the practice of admitting States into the 
Union alternately, one from the North and one 
from the South, for the purpose of sustaining the 
equipoise between the two sections. Thus Missis- 
sippi and Indiana were admitted as offsets; Ala- 
bama and Illinois, Missouri and Maine. The Lou- 
isiana Purchase and the Missouri Compromise ren- 
dered the North top-heavy. The North was able 
to outswap the South. The war with Mexico and 
the acquisition of Spanish territory w^ere consum- 
mated with the view of gaining for the South new 
slave territory. The War of 1812 nearly drove the 
North into secession; the Louisiana Purchase and 
the war with Mexico opened the door wide to 
Southern secession. 

The War of the Rebellion actually began in the 
bloody effort of both North and South to win Kan- 
sas under the Gospel of Douglas, or Squatter Sov- 
ereignty, an am])lified State rights doctrine. 



28 BATTLES AND BtOaRAPHlES OF MISSOURI AN S. 

Chapter II. 

KANSAS TROUBLES. 

I do believe, 
Statist though I be none, nor lilie to be, 
That this will prove a war. 

— Shakespeare. 

Ho, brothers! Come, brothers! 

Hasten all with me! 
We '11 Bing upon the Kansas plains 

A song of liberty! 

— Lucy Larcom. 

The great Santa F^ Trail, which began at Inde- 
pendence, Mo., separated into two branches in 
Kansas, and gave that Territory two great higli- 
ways. One branch led southwest into New Mex- 
ico; the other ran up between the Kaw and the 
Wakarusa. This was the California rout \ Fr m 
all the river towns and all the landings, roads ram- 
ified the West. The travel of emigrants over the 
principal of these roads equalled the travel over 
an Eastern turnpike. (Hale, 1854.) 

Eli Thayer, a member of the Massachusetts Leg- 
islature, conceived the plan of assisting European 
emigrants, who reached our eastern seaboard, to 
locate safely in the West. There were harpies in 
those days, who lived by fleecing newly-arrived 
foreigners. Mr. Thayer introduced and had 
passed a bill providing for the incorporation of the 
Massachusetts Emigrant and Aid Society, with a 



KANSAS TROUBLES. 29 

capital stock limited to |5,000,000. This was one 
of the earliest sinews of the war between the 
States. Similar societies were incorporated in 
New York and Connecticut. Emigrants, foreign 
and native, were sent to Kansas as rapidly as pos- 
sible. Free transportation was given to all who 
applied for tickets for the journey. Local leagues 
and auxiliary branches were erected all over the 
East as feeders to the emigrant companies. The 
Union Emigrant Society of Washington City was 
organized "by such members of Congress and citi- 
zens generally as were opposed to the repeal of the 
Missouri Compromise and to the extension of 
slavery in the Territories.'^ 

The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill en- 
throned "Squatter Sovereignty," a term first used 
by Senator Cass, of Michigan. The term meant 
that the settlers in a new Territory should super- 
vise their own domestic affairs without the dicta- 
tion of the general Government at Washington 
City; that is, the settlers were to have slavery or 
not as they might elect. Edward E. Hale, of Bos- 
ton, wrote a book in 1854, on Emigrant Aid So- 
cieties, in which he said: "To secure to Kansas, 
therefore, a fair proportion of Western emigra- 
tion; to secure for the principle of Squatter Sov- 
ereignty a fair trial, and to make sure that the in- 
stitutions, both of Kansas and Nebraska, should 
be digested by settlers of every class; it became 
necessary that some organization of the great cur- 
rent of western emigration should encourage each 



30 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOVRIANS. 

emigrant from the North by showing him how 
strong a force was behind him and around him." 
The Missonrians accepted the repeal of the Mis- 
souri Compromise and the passage of the Kansas- 
Nebraska bill as legalizing the claims of slavery in 
all the Territories. They felt outraged by the tres- 
pass and intrusion of Yankee emigrants who were 
not bona-fide settlers, but who came as minions of 
political schemers of the East to abolitionize the 
new Territory. The Missonrians argued that Mas- 
sachusetts and Vermont had no right to come with 
their abolition propaganda into Kansas and thus 
open an avenue of escape to Missouri slaves. The 
Underground Eailroad was in operation all over 
the country when Kansas was erected into a Terri- 
tory in 1854. The Missonrians, therefore, not to 
be outdone by Yankee schemes and enterprise, or- 
ganized ''Blue Lodges,'^ "Sons of the South," and 
other orders. The methods and purposes of these 
lodges were exactly similar to the methods and 
purposes of the Eastern Aid Societies. Antici- 
pating the arrival of the Eastern emigrants, the 
Missonrians went iAto the new Territory and 
staked off numerous claims, the basis of many 
future quarrels. In July, 1854, the first Eastern 
emigrants arrived in Kansas and stopped at Law- 
rence. A band of pro-slavery Missonrians warned 
them not to settle there. No blood Avas shed, but 
the inter-state quarrel was begun, and the quarrel 
deepened from that day and widened until the na- 



KANSAS TROUBLES. 31 

tioii was involved, and only ended with Lee and 
Grant at Appomattox. 

A Free Soil w^riter of the time, who denominat- 
ed the Missourians as "Border Riiflfians/' said: 
'^Yankee settlements in the valley of the Kaw 
awakened a bloodthirsty wish to extirpate them.'' 
The extirpation imi)iilse seemed to be mutual be- 
tween the Free Soil and the pro-slavery people. 
During' the half-dozen years between 1854 and 
1860, poor bleeding-, distracted Kansas excited uni- 
versal interest, hatred at the South, commiseration 
at the North. The effusion of blood was not the 
vendetta of fractious and misguided neighbors. 
The temper of the wide nation was displaying it- 
self here in the Territory of Kansas. The shock 
here was the premonition of the earthquake of the 
Civil War. 

Mr. Thayer has left on record that the Missouri 
settler brought his family into Kansas, while the 
Aid Societies sent out only men. It was noted 
that the abolition settlers had more Sharp's rifles 
than implements of agriculture. In 1854 the first 
election was held in Kansas. Citizens of Missouri 
went over and voted. They carried the election 
and the pro-slavery delegate elected to Congress 
took his seat and served without protest. The Ter- 
ritorial Legislature was elected in March, 1855. On 
the occasion of this election large bands of Mis- 
sourians invaded Kansas to vote, claiming that 
they had as good a right — in fact, a better right to 
vote than did the interlopers brought fromtheEast 



32 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

by Emigrant Aid Societies. Over a thousand Mis- 
sourians attended the election at Lawrence, more 
than enough to carry that precinct; so three hun- 
dred rode twelve miles to another precinct and car- 
ried that also. The best men of the State of Mis- 
souri attended this Kansas election and exercised 
the right of suffrage. Such men as Claiborne F. 
Jackson, Senator D. K. Atchison, Joseph O. Shel- 
by, John T. Hughes, judges of Buchanan and Cass 
counties and other county officials, and prominent 
citizens from different parts of the State, were en- 
thusiastic visitors in Kansas on that 30tli of 
March, 1855. Senator Atchison, who had been 
president of the United States Senate, said in 
urging Missourians to vote in Kansas: "If men a 
thousand miles off can send men to abolitionize 
Kansas, how much more is it the duty of those who 
live within a day's journey of the Territory, and 
whose peace and property depend on the result, 
to meet and send young men over the border 
to vote. If they should fail, Missouri and the oth- 
er Southern States would show themselves rec- 
reant to their own interests and would deserve 
their fate." 

A pro-slavery legislature was declared elected, 
and this body made the Lecompton Constitution 
and enacted laws which Avere utterly repudiated 
by the Free Soil party of the Territory of Kansas. 
A Free Soil writer said of the election: "The im- 
mediate effect was to further excite the people of 
the Northern States, induce acts of retaliation, and 



KAN 8 AS TROUBLES. 33 

exasperate the actual settlers against their Mis- 
souri neighbors." 

Governor Shannon, of Kansas, said he could 
understand why Missouri was so active in Kansas 
affairs: "Missouri has 50,000 slaves in that por- 
tion of her territory which borders upon Kansas. 
By estimating the average value of each of these 
slaves at |600, a low estimate, we have a total of 
$30,000,000. Now, should Kansas become a free 
State, it would be ruinous to the slave-holding in- 
terests of Missouri." 

James Montgomery was a Christian minister 
from Missouri, a Free Soiler of decided cast. He 
settled on Sugar Creek, a Kansas tributary of the 
Marais des Cygnes. In 1856, Gen. Clark, with 300 
United States troops, burned his house. He or- 
ganized a band of Jay hawkers, and these retaliated 
by despoiling their pro-slavery neighbors. Houses 
were ransacked and burned; horses were taken; 
Blue Lodge men were notified to leave the country 
or were murdered. Montgomery's biographer and 
apologist, Tomlinson, says: "His judgment, cour- 
age, and skill with firearms became proverbial." 
Montgoinery was in open rebellion against the 
United States authorities at Fort Scott. In the 
battle of "Yellow Paint" he overcame the Federal 
troops. Tomlinson says: "By that fight — the 
first between the settlers and the Federal soldiery 
of Kansas — it was satisfactorily demonstrated 
that a Sharp's rifle ball, carefully directed, would 
have the same effect upon a dragoon as upon a 



34 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

common man." The cry of Montgomery's men was, 
"Down with Fort Scott! Down with the strong- 
hold of tyranny!'- The operations of John Brown 
belong to general history and are well known. 
Brown was an nnselfish, fanatical abolitionist; 
Montgomery was a Jayhawker. Brown killed 
men and took their property, if they believed in 
slavery. He was not a robber per se, although af- 
ter his last raid into Missouri he sold his horse in 
Ohio, warning the purchaser of a ''possible defect 
in title." Missouri was an older country than 
Kansas, and, possessing more property than Kan- 
sas, suffered heavier losses than the latter. Mis- 
sourians found ample pretexts for penetrating into 
Kansas to recover stolen and runaway negroes and 
"stray" horses. These were usually enterprising 
enough to get what they went after in either "meal 
or malt." 

Leverett W. Springer, professor of English in 
the University of Kansas, in his admirable Avork, 
says that Fort Scott was a military post from 1842 
to 1856 and w^as a Border Ruffian stronghold, 
against which the Jayhawkers directed especial 
animus. Springer says: 

"Confederated at first for defense against pro- 
slavery outrages, but ultimately more or less com- 
pletely into the vocation of robbery and assassins, 
they received the name^ — whatever its origin may 
be — of Jayhawkers. The best known leader in the 
jayhawking episodes is James Montgomery. * * 

"In these aggressions Jayhawkers seemed to 



KANSAS TROUBLES. 35 

take the lead, and they established a freebootin^ 
reputation that fairly intimidated pro-slavery ad- 
herents. The accounts of marauding incursions 
from Missouri which appeared in contemporary 
prints were mostly canards circulated by Jay- 
hawkers as an excuse for their own depredations. 
They occasionally dispatched messengers to Law- 
rence with a budget of exaggerated or manufact- 
ured pro-slavei'y outrages, to keep alive their 
reputation as struggling, self-denying, afflicted 
patriots. 

^'While it may be rash to speak with confidence 
on a matter where so much confusion, blur, and 
conflict of testimony still exist, yet the conclusion 
seems to be forced that in comparison with the 
Missourians, whose sins are black enough. Jay- 
hawkers are superior devils.'' The same author 
says of the Kansas "Ked-legs'': ^^It was a loose- 
jointed association with members shifting betw^een 
25 and 50, dedicated originally to the vocation of 
horse-stealing, but flexible enough to include 
rascalities of every description." 

In 1859 Governor Stewart sent a message to the 
Missouri Legislature asking for relief for the bor- 
der counties against the continued incursions of 
the Kansas Jayhawkers. The governor wrote to 
President Buchanan that he had ^'ordered a body 
of militia into Cass and Bates counties, because 
they have been subjected to repeated depreda- 
tions." 

A legislative committee was appointed and its 



36 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

report on the governor's message was singnlarly 
dispassionate and wise : "We have evidence of the 
most satisfactory character that outrages almost 
without parallel, in America at least, have been 
perpetrated upon the persons and property of unof- 
fending citizens of Bates and Vernon counties — 
their houses plundered and then burned, their ne- 
groes kidnapped in droves, citizens wounded and 
murdered in cold blood, etc.'' 

The committee was opposed to the adoption of 
warlike measures. It advised that rewards be of- 
fered for the arrest of leading Jayhawkers and that 
circuit judges should hold special terms in the 
disturbed district to investigate grievances. The 
governor was authorized to adopt measures that 
he might deem necessary. The sum of |30,000 was 
appropriated to enable the governor to carry out 
these purposes. A reward of |3,000 was offered 
for the arrest of John Brown. By the exertion of 
the State, federal, and territorial- authorities, com- 
parative peace was established, and '^out of sub- 
siding anarchy there arose a crude, rudimental 
order." 

"It did not last long," says Lucien Carr in 
"Missouri a Bone of Contention." "In November, 
1860, another outbreak occurred, in which the Uni- 
ted States court for the Third District of Kansas 
Avas broken up by a band of Jayhawkers under 
Montgomery, and the United States officers, in- 
cluding the judge liimself, were compelled to fly 
for their lives. A grand juror (Moore) was mur- 



KANSAS TROUBLES. 37 

dered, as were al^o Sam Scott and Kussell Hindes, 
the latter a Missourian who was hunting a runa- 
way negro. These proceedings were endorsed by 
the so-called conventions of Linn and Bourbon 
counties, Kansas, and were backed by the declara- 
tion of Montgomery, that he intended ^to keep pos- 
session of Fort t^cott and other places near the 
State line to prevent a fire in the rear while he 
cleaned out southern Missouri of its slaves/ Citi- 
zens of Missouri on the Osage and Marmaton rivers 
and in Bates and Vernon counties left their homes 
and fied to the interior of the State. Gen. D. M. 
Frost, afterwards of Camp Jackson fame, was or- 
dered by Gov. Stuart to end the difiticulty. Frost 
went with 630 men. Gen. Harney was there; 
Montgomery quit his fort, disbanded his men and 
left the county. Frost reported to the governor 
that ''the deserted and charred remains of once 
happy homes, combined with the general terror 
that prevailed amongst the citizens who still clung 
to their possessions, gave but too certain proof of 
the persecutions to which they had all been sub- 
jected and which they would again have to endure 
so soon as armed protection should be Avithdrawn.'' 

Col. John S. Bowen, who afterwards rose to a 
high command in the Confederate Army, Avas left 
in command. At the outbreak of the Civil War 
jayhawking still flourished, though it ended for 
that season with Frost and Bowen. 

"The old jayhawking leaders, however, now 
came with United States commissions in their 



38 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

pockets and at the head of regularly enlisted 
troops, in which guise they carried on a system of 
robbery and murder that left a good portion of the 
frontier, south of the Missouri Kiver, as perfect a 
waste as Germany was at the end of the Thirty 
Years' War.'' (Lucien Carr.) 

This outline of the ante-bellum troubles le 
tween Missouri and Kansas would be inexcusably 
incomplete without some notice of the Wakarusa 
War. In this exciting but bloodless affair many 
Missourians began their military careers. 

Samuel J. Jones, of Westport, a courageous 
man, had been elected sheriff of Douglas County, 
Kansas. At the election which put Jones in office 
the Free Soil men refused to vote, not recognizing 
as legal the legislature under whose laws it was 
held. All '^ white" men had a right to vote; the 
right of suffrage was so broad that it included all 
Indians who conformed to the customs of the white 
man, which condition seemed to be fulfilled by the 
drinking of bad whisky. 

A claim dispute near Lawrence, between F. N. 
Coleman and Chas. M. Dow, eventuated in the 
assassination of the latter by the former. Dow 
was a Free Soiler and lived with Jacob Bronson. 
A meeting of Free Soilers was held at the scene 
of the killing and measures of retaliation were dis- 
cussed. Bronson threatened \o kill Coleman. In 
order to protect the latter, a warrant for the arrest 
of the former was placed in the hands of Sheriff 
Jones, who proceeded with a posse to the home of 



KANSAS TROUBLES. 39 

Bronson and at night served the writ As they 
came away with their prisoner, they were con- 
fronted by a posse of Free Soilers. Bronson at 
once left the ranks of his captors and joined his 
friends. The news flew like wildfire all over Kan- 
sas and Missouri that legal processes could not be 
executed in the Territory on account of Free Soil 
outlaw^s. Gov. Shannon called out the militia to 
uphold the laws, and 1500 men from Missouri 
marched heavily armed into Kansas to sustain the 
laws enacted by the legislature which they had as- 
sisted in electing. The Free Soilers repaired in 
heavy force to Lawrence, which place they forti- 
fied. Law^rence had been in bad repute with Mis- 
sourians from the beginning. Thither they con- 
centrated and besieged the towm, led by such men 
as Atchison, Doniphan, and Hi Bledsoe. The be- 
leaguered Free Soilers opened communication with 
Gov. Shannon and induced him to visit Lawrence. 
The governor. Major Kobinson, and Jim Lane were 
sent to confer with the Missourians. By keeping 
''the frothy, pictorial, and unbalanced'' Lane quiet, 
Gov. Shannon and Senator Atchison succeeded in 
explaining matters to the Missourians and a peace 
w^as made. The peace was ratified by the approval 
of everybody in both Missouri and Kansas, except 
old John Brow^n, who announced himself as in 
favor of blood-letting. 



40 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

Chapter III. 

PREMONITIONS OF WAR. 

Although General Sterling Pidce and other 
Union Democrats carried the State of Missouri for 
Douglas in 1860, the Legislature elected that year 
was from the Breckinridge or Southern wing of 
the party. The new governor, Claiborne F. Jack- 
son, found the General Assembly which convened 
on the last day of December to be in perfect accord 
with himself on all questions of federal relations 
of the State. The governor, therefore, seems to 
have made a mistake in his inaugural me.-^sage, 
by asking that a State convention be called. The 
Legislature was competent to pass an ordinance 
of secession, and was at last desirous of doing so; 
but the power had then been lodged by law with 
the State Convention, w^hich not only rejected 
secession, but deposed the governor and all the 
other State officers, including members of the 
Legislature. 

The members of the General Assembl}^ were 
chosen at the August election. The national crisis 
had not then developed. The war cloud on the 
horizon was not larger than a man's hand and ex- 
cited no apprehension of immediate danger. The 
will of the people on the question of secession, par- 
amount in January, found no expression at the 
election held on the first Monday of the preced- 



PREMONITIONS OF WAR. 41 

ing August A uew election, therefore, was nec- 
essary. 

In recommending a State convention Governor 
Jackson was prompted by the lofty motives of a 
disinterested patriotism. Patriotically, the con- 
vention was righteous; from a party standpoint, it 
was, perhaps, an error. The cotton States adopted 
ordinances of secession through State conventions. 
Perhaps Gov. Jackson expected the Missouri State 
Convention to do the same. 

The election of Abraham Lincoln to the presi- 
dency was looked upon throughout the South as 
in the last degree inimical to the institution of 
slavery. Lincoln's speech at Springfield, 111., in 
June, 1858, was distinctly remembered. He said 
in accepting the nomination to the United States 
Senate: "A house divided against itself cannot 
stand. I believe this Government cannot endure 
permanently half slave and half free. I do not ex- 
pect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect 
the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to 
be divided. It will all become one thing or the 
other." This prophetic utterance was derided as 
the idle vaporings of a buffoon. Lincoln was now 
to be President. He was regarded as the chief of 
abolitionists, and was detested accordingly. 

After the election of Lincoln, the Southern Con- 
federacy was quickly organized. Missouri be- 
longed to both the North and the South and her 
people were divided in the impending conflict. 
The voices of the outgoing and the incoming gov- 



42 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

ernors, carefully noted, give a perfect reflection 
of public sentiment at that dark and distressinjjj 
hour. 

Gov. Stewart, whose neglected grave may be 
seen at St. Joseph, in his final message to the 
Legislature, said: 

"Missouri occupies a position in regard to 
these troubles that should make her voice po- 
tent in the councils of the nation. With scarce- 
ly a disunionist per }^e to be found in her borders, 
she is still determined to demand, and to maintain, 
her rights at every hazard. She loves the Union 
while it is the protector of equal rights, but will 
despise it as the instrument of wrong. She came 
into the Union upon a compromise, and is willing 
to abide by a fair compromise still; not such 
ephemeral contracts as are enacted by Congress 
to-day, and repealed to-morrow; but a compromise 
assuring all the just rights of the States, and 
agreed to in solemn convention of the parties 
interested. 

"Missouri has a right to speak on this subject, 
because she has suffered. Bounded on three sides 
by free territory, her border counties have been the 
frequent scenes of kidnapping and violence, and 
this State has probably lost as much, in the last 
two years, in abducted slaves, as all the rest of the 
Southern States. At this moment several of the 
western counties are desolated, and almost depop- 
ulated, from fear of a bandit horde, who have been 



PREMONITIONS OF WAR. 43 

committing depredations — arson, theft, and foul 
murder — upon the adjacent border. 

"Missouri has a right, too, to be heard by rea- 
son of her present position and power, as well as 
from the great calamities which a hasty dissolu- 
tion of the Union will bring upon her. She has 
already a larger voting population than any of the 
slave States, witli prospective power and wealth 
far beyond any of her sister States. * * * * 

"As matters are at present, Missouri will stand 
by her lot, and hold to the Union as long as it is 
worth an effort to preserve it. So long as there is 
hope of success she will seek for justice within the 
Union. She cannot be frightened from her pro- 
priety by the past unfriendly legislation of the 
North, nor be dragooned into secession by the ex- 
treme South. If those Avho should be our friends 
and allies undertake to render our property worth- 
less by a system of prohibitory laws, or by reopen- 
ing the slave trade in opposition to the moral sense 
of the civilized world, and at the same time reduce 
us to a position of humble sentinel to watch over 
and protect their interests, receiving all the blows 
and none of the benefits, Missouri will hesitate 
long before sanctioning such an arrangement. 
She will rather take the high position of armed 
neutrality. She is able to take care of herself, and 
will be neither forced nor flattered, driven nor 
coaxed, into a course of action that must end in her 
own destruction. 

"If South Carolina and other cotton States per- 



44 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISSOURI AN8. 

sist in secession, she will desire to see them go in 
peace, with the hope that a short experience at 
separate government, and an honorable readjust- 
ment of the federal compact, will induce them to 
return to their former position. In the meantime 
Missouri will hold herself ready, at any mouaent, 
to defend her soil from pollution and her property 
from plunder by fanatics and marauders, come 
from what quarter they may." 

Gov. Jackson said in his first message: 
^^The triumph of such an organization [the Re- 
publican party] is not the victory of a political 
party, but the domination of a section. * * * 
"Accordingly, we find the result of the recent 
presidential election has already produced its nat- 
ural effects. From Florida to Missouri a feeling of 
discontent and alarm has manifested itself, more 
or less violent, according to the imminence of the 
danger and the extent of the interests at stake. * 

"The destiny of the slave-holding States of this 
Union is one and the same. * * The identity, 
rather than the similarity, of their domestic insti- 
tutions; their political principles and party usages; 
their common origin, pursuits, tastes, manners, and 
customs; their territorial contiguity and commer- 
cial relations — all contribute to bind them together 
in one sisterhood. And Missouri will, in my judg- 
ment, best consult her own interests and the inter- 
ests of the whole country by a timely declaration 
of her determination to stand by her sister slave- 
holding States, in whose wrongs she participates, 



PREMONITIONS OF WAR. 45 

and with whose institutions and people she sym- 
pathizes. * * * 

"The ultimate fate of all the slave-holding 
States is necessarily the same, their determination 
and action in the present crisis should be the re- 
sult of a general consultation. * * * 

"I am not without hope that an adjustment 
alike honorable to both sections may be effected, 
* * * but in the present unfavorable aspect of 
public aft'airs it is our duty to prepare for the 
worst. * * * The magnitude of the interests 
now in jeopardy demands a prompt but deliberate 
consideration; and in order that the will of the 
people may be ascertained and effectuated, a State 
convention should, in my view, be immediately 
called. '^ 

In accordance with the governor's recommend- 
ation, George G. Vest introduced a bill, which was 
promptly enacted into law, providing for a State 
convention similar to those which in the cotton 
States were jjassing ordinances of secession. The 
convention was to be composed of ninety-nine 
members, three from each of the thirty-three sen- 
atorial districts. The election was ordered for 
February 23d. 

It was confidently expected that the people 
would elect a thoroughly Southern if not a seces- 
sionist convention. But the temper of the people 
was dispassionate. A deep vein of conservatism 
developed itself. The people selected for the State 
Convention their most thouohtful and cautions 



46 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MIS80URIAN8. 

men. The result was emphatic. Every man in the 
convention was for the Union. 

The convention met at Jefferson Oity on the 
last day of February, 1861. It was composed of 
such eminent citizens as Sterling Price, Judge 
Gamble, John B. Henderson, Judge Norton, and 
Alexander W. Doniphan. The Lexington district 
was represented by Samuel L. Sawyer. Independ- 
ence sent Jas. K. Sheley. 

The convention was clothed with ampler powers 
than belonged to the Legislature itself. The con- 
vention might have abrogated the constitution of 
the State and replaced it with another. Sterling 
Price was chosen president, and Judge Gamble was 
placed at the head of the Committee on Federal 
Relations. After a three-days session, the conven- 
tion adjourned to meet in St. Louis on the 4th of 
March. At tliat meeting, as Lincoln was taking 
the oath of office. Judge Gamble reported this res- 
olution, which was adopted: "To involve Missouri 
in a revolution under the present circumstances is 
certainly not demanded by the magnitude of the 
grievances of which we complain; nor by the cer- 
tainty that they cannot be otherwise and more 
peacefully remedied; nor by the hope that they 
would be remedied, or even diminished, by such 
revolution.'' 

This resolution was forwarded to the governor 
and the General Assembly. The convention, hav- 
ing done ajl that it was created to do, now should 
have adjourned sine die. Instead of doin^ so, it 



PREMONITIONS OF WAR. 47 

adjourned subject to the call of a committee. Evi- 
dently the Legislature was distrusted by the con- 
vention. The convention derived its authority, 
not from the Legislature, but directly from the peo- 
l^le, whose will was expressed at a popular elec- 
tion, the last one held in a dozen years. A large 
minority of the convention, forty-seven members, 
believed in secession, under circumstances of suffi- 
cient provocation, A small majority, fifty -two 
members, believed unconditionally in the Union. 
This majority afterwards constituted the "Gamble 
Convention" and was the source of authority of the 
"Gamble Dynasty." 

The General Assembly continued in session 
during the winter. Many fiery Southern speeches 
were delivered by such members as George G. Vest 
and Thos. A. Harris, afterwards Gen. Harris of the 
State Guards army, and still later of the Confed- 
erate Congress. During the session commission- 
ers were received from many of the seceded States. 
On such occasions both houses of the Legislature, 
the governor, judges of the Suijreme Court, and 
other officials of the State, assembled in the Hall 
of Representatives and the visiting commissioners 
were received with the ceremony and circumstance 
due a plenipotentiary of a foreign Government. 
The Union people over the State were greatly ex- 
ercised by these manifestations of sovereignty at 
the State Capitol. Such occurrences were held as 
treasonable by many historians of the day, few of 
whom freed themselves from prejudice far enough 



48^ BATTLES AND BIOaRAPEIEB OF MI880URIA1^S. 

to relate that the State Convention, unquestiona- 
bly Union, was no less treasonable in this respect 
than the Legislature itself. The convention gave 
a respectful hearing to Luther J. Glenn, commis- 
sioner from Georgia. A committee was appointed 
and made its report to the convention in due and 
formal order on Glenn's mission and his address. 
The convention passed many resolutions during 
its several weeks' session, one of which urged al- 
most passionately the Federal Government not to 
coerce a seceding State, and the seceding States 
were begged to ^'withhold and stay the arm of mil- 
itai^ power.'' Federal coercion of a seceding State 
found no countenance in the Legislature or in the 
State Convention. This early meeting of the State 
Convention was conservative in all its actions, 
showing due and proper deference to the governor 
and the Legislature. In its later meetings it was 
denominated the "Gamble Convention." Judge 
Gamble was made provisional governor of the State 
and a full set of State officers were chosen. The 
provisional Government of the State of Missouri 
was in perfect accord with Lincoln's administra- 
tion. Its seat of power was in St. Louis. 



THE GAMP JACKSON AFFAIR. 49 



Chapter IV, 

THE CAMP JACKSON AFFAIR. 

The Douglas anrl the Hotspur, both together. 
Are confident against the world in arms. 

— Shakespeare. 

Frank P. Blair was the head and front of the 
Union cause In Missouri ; Nathaniel Lyon was the 
shivering lance. These two together saved Mis- 
souri to the Union. Neither could have accom- 
plished the result alone. They transcended their 
federal authority and usurped powers lodged by 
law with the governor of the State. The exigencies 
of war soon justified their course. 

As early as 1856 Frank P. Blair whispered the 
magic word "Emancipation.'' In the campaign of 
18G0 he organized the Germans of St Louis into 
political clubs devoted to Mr. Bates for the 
presidential nomination which went to Lincoln. 
The Wide-awakes ratified the nomination of Lin- 
coln, whom they supported with an enthusiasm 
attributable mainly to Blair's leadership. In De- 
cember the Wide aw^akes were formed into stal- 
wart, loyal Union clubs. Every member was an 
"unconditional Union" man and believed with 
Blair that "every traitor should feel the strength 
of Missouri hemp." These political clubs became, 
in January, the basis of the "United States Re- 
serve Corp,'' better known as the Home Guards. 



50 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MtSSOURIANS. 

These were secretly drilled in garrets at first, but 
were strong and fearless. The secessionists were 
not less active. They drilled minute men and 
other bodies. These antagonist organizations de- 
veloped the war spirit and St Louis was early the 
scenes of mob violence. 

Major Bell was in command of the United 
States arsenal at St. Louis. Gen. D. M. Frost, a 
West Pointer, who had served in the State Senate 
and was author of the military bill of 1858, was at 
the head of the State militia in the St. Louis dis- 
trict. Major Bell agreed, in an interview with 
Gen. Frost, that the United States arsenal be- 
longed of right to the State of Missouri and prom- 
ised that nothing should be removed without time- 
ly notice. Major Bell resigned and was succeeded 
by Major Hagner, who in turn was succeeded by 
Major Harney. Early in January the sub-treas- 
ury in St. Louis held |400,000. Isaac Sturgeon, 
assistant treasurer, wrote to the President that 
this money needed special protection and that a few 
soldiers ought to be stationed at the sub-treasury. 
Forty soldiers were foolishly sent. Instantly a 
resolution was introduced in the Legislature de- 
manding of the Government an explanation for the 
presence of these soldiers on the sacred soil of Mis- 
souri. The resolution was dropped when it was 
learned that the soldiers had been transferred to 
the arsenal. The feeling of anxiety did not sub- 
side, however. A few extreme Southern men in 
the State now urged the governor to seize the ar- 



THE GAMP JACKSON AFFAIR. 51 

senal, but this would have been an act of secession 
and the governor was not yet a secessionist. 

On the 6th of February, Capt. Lyon marched 
into the arsenal grounds with a company of regu- 
lars from Fort Kiley. Blair and Lyon had their 
heads together at once. No other men in the na- 
tion so well understood as Lyon and Blair that a 
revolution was impending. Neither Blair nor 
Lyon had the slightest faith in pacificatory meas- 
ures. Both were disgusted with the conservative 
methods of Major Harney. Both wanted to force 
the issue by military organization and occupation. 
Their earliest and most persistent effort was to get 
Lyon in charge of the post at St .Louis, and Blair 
made trip after trip to Washington City for this 
purpose. His brother, Montgomery Blair, was a 
member of Lincoln's cabinet, and this circum- 
stance, united with Frank P. Blair's own strength 
of character, gave read}^ importance to any scheme 
he might espouse. After the fall of Fort Sumter, 
Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers. A requisi- 
tion was sent to Governor Jackson for four regi- 
ments, Missouii's quota. He sent this reply to the 
President: 

"Your dispatch of 13th inst, making a call up- 
on Missouri for four reo'iments of men for imme- 
diate service, has been received. There can be, I 
apprehend, no doubt but these men are intended 
to form a part of the President's army to make war 
upon the people of the seceded States. Your 
requisition, in my judgment, is illegal, unconstitu- 



52 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

tional, and revolutionary in its objects, inhuman 
and diabolical, and cannot be complied with. Not 
one man will the State of Missouri furnish to carry 
on such an unholy crusade." 

The governor promptly issued a call convening 
the Legislature in extra session, and at the same 
time each military district was directed to go into 
encampment for six days "to the end that men and 
officers might attain a greater degree of efficiency 
in drill and discipline." The Legislature met on 
May 2d and the encampments were to begin on May 
3d. Gen. Frost, commandant of the First District, 
accordingly went into camp at St. Louis, the Uni- 
ted States flag floating over headquarters. The 
sentiment of Frost's men was well understood. 
They made no attempt to conceal their sympathy 
with the South. One street of the camp was 
named Davis and another Beauregard. It was 
charged that the camp was secretly receiving arms 
and ammunition unlawfully taken from the arse- 
nal at Baton Tlouge. The earliest plan of the Se- 
cessionists was to seize United States arsenals and 
war material. Secretary of War Floyd, during 
the last month's of Buchanan's administration, had 
distributed kirge quantities of arms, etc., over the 
South against tlie day of secession. Already had 
the arsenal at Liberty, Mo., been seized by citizens 
of Jackson and other counties. It looked probable 
to Lyon that General Frost might attack the St. 
Louis arsenal. He did not wait. He marched out 
with a large force to summons Frost to surrender. 



THE CAMP JACKSON AFFAIR. 53 

Many Union men protested against the move and 
a committee of loyal citizens waited on Blair to 
forestall the project. But Blair and Lyon were de- 
termined. It is notable that IT. S. Grant, then un- 
known, was in St. Louis that day and quite ap- 
proved the course pursued. Frost had no alter- 
native; he surrendered and his State militia be- 
came prisoners of war and were paroled. The 
supremacy of the United States over the State had 
been asserted. Lyon had received arms during 
the winter and in secrecy had transferred them 
through the streets in beer wagons. Had not an 
officer in the State service an equal right? It was 
doubtful; to solve such doubts the great war was 
fought. As Lyon marched in with his prisoners, 
a fight occurred between some of his soldiers and 
the exasperated, jeering citizens who thronged the 
way as spectators. The soldiers fired and a num- 
ber of persons were killed, including women and 
children. 

The capture of Camp Jackson, as Frost's camp 
was called, and the attendant calamities created 
a profound sensation all over the State. At Jeffer- 
son City the Legislature in extra session was dis- 
cussing the new military bill. The measure was 
being contested vigorously. When it was knowii 
that Lyon had taken Camp Jackson, all opposition 
vanished into thin air, and within twenty minutes 
the military bill was passed and ready for the 
governor's signature. That night it was rumored 
in Jefferson City that Frank Blair was marching 



54 BATTLE H AND BIOGBAPHIEa OF MISS0URIAN8. 

with a band of Home Guards toward the State 
capital. A' midnight session of the Legislature 
was held. Dictatorial powers were conferred on 
the governor, and f 30,000 was appropriated for the 
governor's use in defending the State against mil- 
itary aggression. It was proposed that the gov- 
ernor should purchase foundries and employ men 
to cast cannon. Lyon and Blair were in open 
rebellion against the authorities of the State, an 
offense quite heinous in the eyes of those who held 
that the autonomy of the State was of equal or 
superior dignity to that of the United States. 

Lyon was widely condemned by Union men 
and bitterly and universally denounced by Seces- 
sionists. Judge Gamble, afterwards provisional 
governor of the State, and eTas. E. Yeatman were 
sent as a committee from St. Louis to call on Pres- 
ident Lincoln and Secretary Cameron with pro- 
testations against the arbitrary conduct of Lyon, 
and to have him removed. They represented tbat 
Lyon was rash and inconsiderate and that he 
hastened to take Camp Jackson before the men 
dispersed and before the return of Major Harney, 
and that he had neecllessly involved the general 
Government in a war with the State of Missouri. 

The task before Harney upon his return was to 
pacify the State, now excited to the pitch and stress 
of open hostilities. Lyon was withdrawn some- 
what from view and excuses were offered for his 
conduct. Major Harney was a loyal man and he 
declared the passage of the new military law to be 



THE CAMP JA0K80N AFFAIR. 55 

in itself an act of secession. At the same time he 
attempted unsuccessfully to disband Lyon's Home 
Guards. The Leoislature adjourned on May 15th, 
after vigorously denouncing Lyon and Blair. Gen. 
Price and Gen. John B. Clark hastened to Jefferson 
City and offered their services to the governor. In 
three days more than a. thousand men arrived at 
Jefferson City to enlist in the service of the State. 
Among these were the Independence Grays from 
Jackson County, who brought with them the four 
brass 6-pounders taken a month before from the 
Liberty arsenal. The first regiment was composed 
of eight companies and were under the command 
of Col. Marmaduke. There were uprisings all over 
the State and the secession flag waved far and 
wide. On May 21, Gov. Jackson announced the 
following brigadier generals, one for each con- 
gressional district : Alexander W. Doniphan, M. M. 
Parsons, Jas. S. Rains, John B. Clark, M. L. Clark, 
Nathan W. Watkins, Beverly Randolph, W. T. 
Slack, and Jas. H. McBride. Gen. Sterling Price 
was named major-general. Several of those named 
above failed to act and others were named instead. 
Major Harney now saw he had a war on his hands, 
raised by the rashness of Lyon — or rather, raised 
by the deliberate purpose of Lyon and Blair. 
They wanted war. Harney was appalled and in- 
vited Price to come to St. Louis for an interview. 
They quickly agreed to terms of peace, and the 
agreement was signed and published. Harney 
bound the United States to respect the neutrality 



56 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

of the state of Missouri and to permit no further 
incursions of Federal troops into the State. Both 
Price and Harney were to preserve order, and 
each in conjunction with the governor advised the | 

people to resume their ordinary vocations. The j 

regiment under Marmaduke was disbanded. A ; 

measurable degree of peace and quiet returned. 



CAMPAIGN OF THE 3£ISS0URI STATE GUARDS. 57 

Chapter Y. 

LYON DECLARES WAR. 

The publication of the Price-Harney a.^reement 
^'fell like a black cloud upon the hopes of the Un- 
ionists, and it was apparent that only one party 
(Harney) was observing it," says Peckham, who 
wrote a history of Lyon while the passion of war 
was still rankling in his breast. The truce was not 
in harmony with the plans laid out by Lyon and 
Blair. They advised the President to garrison St. 
Joseph, Hannibal, Macon City, Springfield, aud 
other points where the Secesh flag had been raised. 
Lyon still commanded the five regiments raised by 
him instead of the four authorized. Blair said to 
the Washington Government: "We are able to 
take care of this State without assistance from 
elsewhere, if authorized to raise a sufficient force 
within the State, and after that work is done we 
can take care of the Secessionists from the Arkan- 
sas line to the Gulf along the west shore of the 
Mississippi River,'' Lyon was less confident, but 
equally anxious for military action. Blair had 
been to Washington City again and had secured, 
almost extorted, from Lincoln, a letter relieving 
Harney from the command at St. Louis. This let- 
ter he carried in his pocket; it was to be used only 
in case of absolute necessity. After Blair re- 
turned to St. Louis, the President wrote a letter to 
5 



58 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISSOURI AN S. 

Blair renewing his expressions of doubt as to the 
propriety of removing Harney. Mr. Lincoln did 
not recall the letter; he had great confidence in 
Blair, but he feared the result of Lyon's succession 
to full control. 

The Price-Harney agreement was enough. 
Blair delivered the momentous letter. Lyon as- 
sumed full control. The militar^^ subjugation of 
the State was now to be undertaken. Price sent 
instructions to his brigadier generals to hasten 
their organizations until the State Convention 
should decide on the federal relations of the State. 
Conservative men were justly alarmed and per- 
suaded Gov. Jackson and Gen. Price to ask for an 
interview with Lyon. A conference was arranged 
for June 12th and Price and Jackson went to 
St. Louis, under safe conduct of Lyon. Thos. L. 
Snead, who was present as Price's aid-de-camp, 
gives the following graphic account of themeeting: 

^^The governor notified Gen. Lyon the next 
morning that he was at the Planters' House and 
would be pleased to confer with him there. Lyon 
replied that he would meet him and Gen. Price at 
the arsenal instead. The governor, rightly con- 
sidering this reply impertinent, informed General 
Lyon that he would confer with him at the Plan- 
ters' House and at no other place. Lyon accord- 
ingly came to the Planters' House, accompanied 
by Blair and Major Conant, his aid-de-camp, and 
the conference took place there. 

"Lyon opened it by saying that the discussion 



CA3IPAI0N OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 59 

jon the part of his Government would be conducted 
by Col. Blair, who enjoyed its confidence in the 
very highest degree, and was authorized to speak 
for it. 

"Blair was, in fact, better fitted than any man 
in the Union to discuss with Jackson and Price the 
grave questions then at issue between the United 
States and the State of Missouri, and in all her 
border there were no men better fitted than they to 
speak for Missouri on that momentous occasion. 

"But, despite the modesty of his opening, Lyon 
was too much in earnest, too zealous, and too w^ell- 
informed on the subject, too aggressive, and too 
fond of disputation to let Blair conduct the discus- 
sion cm the part of his Government. In half an 
hour it was he that conducted it, holding his own 
at every point against Jackson and Price, mas- 
ters though they were of Missouri politics, whose 
course they had been directing and controlling for 
years, while he Avas only a captain of an infantiw 
regiment on the plains. He had, however, been no 
mere soldier in those days, but had been an earn- 
est student of the very questions he was now dis- 
cussing, and he comprehended the matter as well 
as any man, and handled it in a soldierly way to 
which he had been bred, using the sword to cut 
knots he could not untie. 

"It was to no purpose that they all sought, or 
pretended to seek, the basis of a new agreement for 
maintaining the peace in Missouri. If they really 
sought to find one, they did not. Finally, when 



60 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

the conference had lasted four or five hours, Lyon 
closed as he opened it, ^Rather/ said he. (he was 
still seated, and spoke deliberately, slowly, and 
with a peculiai' emphasis), rather than concede 
to the State of Missouri the right to demand that 
my Government shall not enlist troops within her 
limits, or bring troops into the State whenever it 
pleases, or move its own troops at its own will into, 
out of, or through the State; rather than con- 
cede to the State of Missouri for one instant the 
right to dictate to my Government in any matter, 
however unimportant, I would (rising as he said 
this, and pointing to every one in the room) see 
you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and every 
man, woman, and child in the State, dead 
and buried.' Then, turning to the governor, he 
said: ^This means war. In an hour one of my 
officers will call and conduct you out of my lines.' 
And then, without another word, without an incli- 
nation of the head, without even a loolv, he turned 
upon his heels and strode out of the room, rattling 
his spurs and clanking his sabre, while we, whom 
he left, and who had known each other for years, 
bade farewell to each other, courteously and kind- 
ly, and separated — Blair and Conant to fight for 
the Union, we for the land of our birth." 

The question between Gov. Jackson and Gen. 
Lyon as to the place of holding their meeting was 
identical with the question between Governor Han- 
cock and President Washington. When President 
Washington amved at Boston, he did not call on 
the governor of Massachusetts, holding that the 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 61 

governor should call on the President. The gov- 
ernor declined to do so until the last hour of the 
President's visit. The question was one of more 
than mere ceremonial manners. It involved the 
principle of State rights, settled by the war. 

Governor Jackson and General Price returned 
in all haste to Jefferson City. They promptly ac- 
cepted the issue of war, so formally and emphat- 
ically declared by General Lyon. By daylight on 
the following morning the governor's proclama- 
tion had been prepared and was being rapidly 
printed and distributed over the State. It called 
for 50,000 State militia "for the purpose of repel- 
ling invasion and for the protection of the lives, 
liberties, and property of the citizens of this State. 

"A series of unprovoked and unparalleled out- 
rages have been inflicted upon the peace and dig- 
nity of this Commonwealth and upon the rights 
and liberties of its people by wicked and unprinci- 
pled men professing to act under the authority of 
the United States Government. The enactments 
of your Legislature have been nullified; your vol- 
unteer soldiers have been taken prisoners; your 
commerce with your sister States has been sus- 
pended; your trade with your own fellow-citizens 
has been and is subjected to harassing control of 
an armed soldiery; peaceful citizens have been 
imprisoned without warrant of law; unoffending 
and defenseless men, women, and children have 
been ruthlessly shot down and murdered; and 
other unbearable indignities have been heaped 
upon your State and yourselves." 



Q2 BATTLES AND BIOQRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

Referring to the Price-Harney agreement, the 
proclamation said: "We had an interview on the 
11th inst. We agreed to disband the State Guards 
and break up its organization; would disarm all 
companies armed by the State; would pledge not 
to organize under military bill; would suppress in- 
surrection; would maintain strict neutrality and 
would, if necessary, invoke assistance of United 
States troops. All this I proposed to do upon con- 
dition that the Federal Government would under- 
take to disarm the Home Guards, which it has 
illegally organized and armed throughout the 
State, and pledge itself not to occupy with its 
troops any locality not occupied by them at this 
time. * * * 

"In issuing this my proclamation, I hold it to 
be my solemn duty to remind you that Missouri is 
still one of the United States; that the executive 
does not arrogate to itself the power to disturb 
that relation; that that power has been wisely 
vested in a convention, which will, at the proper 
time, express your sovereign will, and that mean- 
while it is your duty to obey all constitutional re- 
quirements of the Federal Government. But it is 
equally my duty to advise you that your first alle- 
giance is due your own State, and that you are un- 
der no obligation whatever to obey the unconstitu- 
tional edicts of the military despotism which has 
enthroned itself at Washington, or to submit to the 
infamous and degrading sway of its minions in this 
State." 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 63 

Chapter VI. 

FIRST GREAT MOVEMENTS. 

Do but stir 
An echo with the clamor of thy drum, 
And even at hand a drum is ready brac'd 
That shall reverberate all as loud as thine. 

— Shakespeare. 

After the Lyon-Jackson conference, hope of 
peace for the State was abandoned by all. Inde- 
scribable excitement attended the quick and uni- 
versal preparation for hostile action. General 
Lyon lost not a minute after leaving the Planters- 
House. He ordered General Sigel to hasten with 
his forces by rail to Kolla, thence to penetrate the 
Southwest and oppose the threatened invasion of 
Gen. McCulloch and to be in a position to intercept 
the possible retreat of Governor Jackson in that 
direction. 

Lyon himself embarked a large and well ap- 
pointed army on board two steamboats, the latan 
and J. C. Swon, and pushed off m^^steriously for 
Jeft'erson City. At the mouth of the Osage River 
a special correspondent on board sent this despatch 
to the St. Louis, Missouri, Democrat: "We expect 
to reach Jefferson City without any resistance 
whatever and restore the flag of our Union to its 
place over the Capitol of the State and to shoot the 
first and every man who dares to attempt to haul 
it down. From the reports of scouts and messen- 



64 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

gers from above, we gather that State forces will 
endeavor to make a stand at or near Boonville, and 
if this is a correct inference, they are doomed to 
certain destruction. Our forces are now so com- 
pletely distributed that no loophole of escape is 
left to the fugitive executive. With the hardy 
Kansas volunteers accustomed to skirmishing 
with border ruffians on the one side of them and 
our enthusiastic volunteers on the other, the 
Secessionists will hardly be able to resist." 

Gen. Price had ordered the brigadier generals 
from the several Congressional districts to con- 
centrate at Boonville with such volunteer forces 
as they had respectively been able to bring to- 
gether. Gen. Price was seized with a violent ill- 
ness, and was for a time unable to take the field. 
About eight hundred "barefoot Rebel militia,'' 
nucleus of the State Guards army, congregated at 
Boonville. These were without arms, or armed 
with Derringer pocket pistols, family fowling- 
pieces, squirrel rifles, old flint-locks, long knives 
made of files which had been beaten into shape by 
blacksmiths, etc. They were without organiza- 
tion or military instructions and had no cannon. 
Col. Marmaduke,a West Pointer, was in command. 

Gen. Lyon left a garrison at Jefferson City and 
puslied up the river, stopping and tying up the 
boats at night. On June 20th he anchored a few 
miles below Boonville. His army was disem- 
barked and set in motion for Marmaduke's camp. 
Col. Marmaduke insisted on the futility of making 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 65 

a stand, but Gov. Jackson, commander-in-chief, by 
virtue of his office, ordered instant preparation for 
battle. Lyon deployed cautiously, and when fired 
upon fell back and brought up his cannon; then he 
advanced resolutely, and the Missourians retreated 
to Camp Vest on the Bacon farm. Beyond Camp 
Vest the retreat became a rout. The Missourians 
fought doggedly and stood their ground longer than 
good generalship would have permitted, but they 
were not properly officered and didn't know how 
to come off the field. They had failed to make 
good the common boast that "one Missourian could 
whip three Yankees. '^ Gen. Lyon had also failed 
of his purpose, namely: to "arrest the insurgents.'' 
Each side had surprised the other by exhibiting 
unexpected fighting qualities, and yet the affair 
was trivial. Two or three were killed on each 
side. Insignificant as this battle was in itself, its 
effects were tremendous. All the rich and popu- 
lous region north of the river was now open to Fed- 
eral dominion, and the State Guards, of whom so 
much had been expected, were in full retreat for 
the South. The Missouri River flowed unvexed 
from the Kaw to the Father of Waters. Garri- 
sons were posted at Lexington, Boonville, and Jef- 
ferson City. Col. Stevenson was charged with 
keeping the water-way open, and was to prevent 
any reinforcements from crossing to join Price. 

If the Camp Jackson affair produced furor over 
the State, the Boonville affair created frenzy. 

Gen. Lyon, always advised by that able and 



QQ BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIANS. 

fearless statesman, Frank P. Blair, wisely issued a 
proclamation extending amnesty to those in arms 
against his Government, who would return to their 
homes. Many accepted his terms. He paroled at 
Boonville a number of prisoners, young men un- 
der military age, presenting each with a New Tes- 
tament. Lyon has been called an atheist 

It was ten days before Lyon could purchase 
and impress horses necessary for the pursuit of 
Jackson. Meantime Lyon returned to St. Louis, 
while Gov. Jackson made forced marches toward 
the Osage Kiver. Generals Parsons and Clark 
with their commands joined him en route. Gen. 
Price ordered Kains and Slack to leave Lexington 
with their forces. They formed a junction with 
Jackson, beyond the Osage, where the united 
squads were organized into companies, battalions, 
regiments, brigades, and divisions. 

This was on the 4th of July. The next day 
they marched to the neighborhood of Carthage, 
where they unexpectedly encountered Sigel. At 
the same time it was learned that Lyon was in pur- 
suit. Jackson's men were eager to fight. They 
had a few pieces of artillery taken in the spring 
from the Liberty arsenal. Hi Bledsoe was there 
also with ^^Old Sacramento,'' a magnificent field- 
piece which he had assisted in taking from the 
Mexicans in the Doniphan expedition to Taos. 
^^Old Sacramento" was drawn by a yoke of steers. 
Its missiles in this battle were made up of trace- 
chains, old scrap-iron, and smooth pebbles. 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 67 

Sigel was an accomplished soldier, and a strict 
disciplinarian. He brought his troops into this 
action to the sound of music and in perfect step. 
The awkward State Guards looked with astonish- 
ment upon the precise movements and soldierly 
bearing of their foes. Sigel opened the battle with 
his batteries, throwing grape, canister, shell, and 
round shot 

Hi Bledsoe "gee-hawed'^ his steers and replied 
yigorously with ^^Old Sacramento." Brigadier Gen- 
erals Clark, Parsons, and Slack commanded the 
infantry. The cavalry deployed to the right and 
left, for the purpose of charging the Federals, but 
there was a stampede among the horses. The in- 
fantry charged unsupported at double-quick and 
with a shout drove Sigel's fine soldiers into Dry 
Fork. It was a great day. But Sigel could have 
been captured. He was forced to institute a retro- 
grade movement, which is the polite military term 
for retreat. His retreat was precipitate and disor- 
derly. A running fight was kept up from Dry 
Fork to Carthage. Sigel made his escape. On 
entering the battle he remarked that the Kebels 
were coming into line, like a worm fence. His de- 
rision was turned into words of admiration. He 
exclaimed: "Great God! Was the like ever seen? 
Kaw recruits, unacquainted with war, standing 
their ground like veterans, hurling defiance at 
every discharge of the batteries against them, and 
cheering their own batteries whenever discharged. 
Such material properly worked up would make 



68 BATTLES AND BIOaRAtHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

the best troops in the world." Sigel was right; 
these Missourians were properly worked up and 
speedily became the best troops in the world. 

When General Price left Lexington, after the 
Boonville affair, he pushed with all possible speed, 
with a small escort into Arkansas to entreat Gen. 
McCulloch to march into Missouri. His success 
had been gratifying, and on the day following the 
battle of Carthage, Gen. Price, accompanied by 
Gen. McOullock, arrived in Jackson's Camp. The 
Missourians were in ecstasy at seeing their great 
captain and in rejoicing over the victory of the day 
before. They believed a great victory had been 
won; that they had certainly established the South- 
ern Confederacy. They were delighted with Mc- 
Culloch's soldiers uniformed in gray, and executing 
military movements with such ease. Gen. Price 
now assumed command and marched to Cowskin 
Prairie, where there was grass for the horses and 
lean beef for the men. Now followed a month of 
assiduous work, organizing, drilling, and pre- 
paring ammunition. Arms were scarce and effi- 
cient drill masters were not plentiful. 

General Pearce, of the Arkansas State troops, 
loaned Gen. Price 615 muskets. Gov. Jackson, in 
his march through the State, had acquired two 
supplies of guns. John Q. Burbridge brought 150 
muskets that he had wheedled out of the Home 
Guards of Pike County. Another supply was 
secured at Cole Camp. At the latter place, a Col. 
Cook, an obnoxious Union man, a brother to the 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 69 

notorious B. F. Cook, who was hanged with John 
Brown in Virginia, had organized a force of Home 
Guards, which lay in wait across Jaclison's path. 
The citizens of the neighborhood organized under 
Capt. Keyes and inarched to Jackson's relief. They 
found Coolv's men calmly sleeping in tw^o large 
barns. The men were dispersed or killed; over 200 
were killed, and 302 new muskets were taken. 

Two men, Henry Guibor and William P. Bar- 
low, were arrested as spies in Barton County and 
brought before Governor Jackson for examination. 
They proved to be paroled men from Camp Jack- 
son, and were skillful cannoneers. They found 
excellent employment at Cow^skin Prairie, disre- 
garding their paroles. 

Thomas L. Snead, of General Price's staff, in 
his ^'Fight for Missouri," gives a graphic account 
of the difficulties overcome at Cow^skin Prairie. 
Lead was transported to the camp from the Gran- 
by mines, in Newton County. All the powder 
(sixty tons) which Gov. Jackson had forcibly pur- 
chased in St. Louis was here in the possession of 
the respective brigadier generals. Snead says 
Major Thomas L. Price, nephew of Gen. Price, 
"knew how to convert trees into monster moulds 
for making buck-shot and bullets. He went 
zealously to work with a corps of assistants, and 
in a few days his ordnance shops were turning 
out heaps of bullets and buck-and-ball cartridges, 
enough for the immediate wants of the State 
Guards. No educated soldier, no officer of the ord- 



70 BATTLE i^ AND BIOOBArUIES OF MI880URIANS. 

nance department, could have done what Major 
Price did. They were not educated for such emer- 
gencies, nor could they have found precedents for 
anything he did. 

"How the artillery was supplied with ammu- 
nition has been told by Lieut. Barlow, of Guibor's 
Battery. One of SigePs captured wagons fur- 
nished us with a few loose round shot; with these 
for a beginning, Guibor established an arsenal of 
construction. A turning lathe in Carthage sup- 
plied sabots; the owner of a tin shop, strains and 
canister; iron rods, which a blacksmith gave and 
cut into small pieces, made good slugs for the 
canister; and a bolt of flannel, with needles and 
thread, freely donated by a dry goods man, pro- 
vided us with material for our cartridge-bags. A 
bayonet made a good candlestick; at night the 
men went to work making cartridges, strapping 
ehot to sabots, and filling the bags from a barrel of 
powder placed some distance from the candle. My 
first cartridge resembled a turnip, rather than the 
prim cylinders from the Federal arsenals, and 
would not take a gun on any terms. But we soon 
learned the trick, and, at the close range at which 
our next battle was fought, our home-made ammu- 
nition was as effective as the best" 

In one month Price's army was evolved. It 
suddenly faced to the north and met and overcame 
the Federal forces under Lyon in the first great bat- 
tle of the Civil War. Price's men called it the bat- 
tle of Oak Hill; the Federals named it the battle of 
Wilson Creek, 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 71 

Chapter YII, 

PRICE'S ARMY. 

O war, thou son of hell. 
Whom angry heavens do make their minister, 
Throw in the frozen bosom of our parts 
Hot coals of vengeance. 

— Shakespeare. 

Missouri was a sovereign State. She liad her 
own army and her own flag. She owned no alle- 
giance to the Southern Confederacy and she held 
her allegiance to the United States as scarcely 
binding. General Price was himself a Union man, 
but he was ready to fight Union men who tres- 
passed with arms upon Missouri soil. He mar- 
shaled an army and fought battles and won vic- 
tories which spread his fame and the fame of his 
men as far as the renown of arms ever reaches. 

The army of Missouri State Guards came into 
being to repel invasion and to protect the lives and 
the property of citizens of the State. The task 
was too great for human accomplishment. There 
were invasions from three sides, Kansas, Iowa, 
and Illinois; there were rivers and railroads and 
telegraph lines in possession of the Federals; there 
were uprisings of Home Guards within the State; 
there was the strong and settled purpose of subju- 
gation with the authorities at Washington City. 
Undaunted by the adverse surroundings, the army 
of the Missouri State Guards prosecuted a bril- 



72 BATTLES AND BIOORAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

liant and successful campaign during the summer 
of 1861, winning battles wherever it fought, for- 
aging and recruiting at will and taxing the Feder- 
als with heavy operations. At winter it made its 
lair at Springfield, Mo. Price's army crossed the 
State three times; won victories at Carthage, Wil- 
son Creek, Dry Wood, and Lexington. When the 
Missouri State Guards finally evacuated the State, 
they retreated into the romantic mountain regions 
of Arkansas, and the next year were absorbed into 
the field forces of the Southern Confederacy. 

Bevier, in his Confederate "First and Second 
Missouri Brigades," says in laudation of the Mis- 
souri State Guards: "It was a chapter of won- 
ders. Price's army of ragged heroes had marched 
over eight hundred miles; it had scarcely passed 
a week without an engagement of some kind; it 
was tied down to no particular line of operations, 
but fought the enemy wherever he could be found, 
and it had provided itself with ordnance and equi])- 
ments almost entirely from the prodigal stores of 
the Federals. 

"The hero of Missouri started on his campaign 
without a dollar, without a wagon or a team, with- 
out a cartridge, without a bayonet gun. When he 
commenced his retreat he had about 8,000 bayonet 
guns, fifty pieces of cannon, four hundred tents, 
and many other articles needful to an army, for 
which his men were almost exclusively indebted to 
their own strong arms in battle. 

"This campaign was little less than a puzzle to 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 73 

military critics. Price managed to subsist an 
army without governmental resources. He sel- 
dom complained of want of transportation. His 
men were never demoralized by hunger. They 
would go into the corn-field, shuck the corn, shell 
it, take it to the mill, and bring it into camp ground 
into meal; or, if they had no flour, they took the 
w^heat from the stack, threshed it themselves, and 
asked the aid of the nearest miller to reduce it to 
flour. Price proved that an army could go where 
they pleased in an agricultural country. His men 
were always cheerful. They frequently, on the 
eve of an engagement, danced around their camp- 
fires wuth bare feet and in ragged costumes, of 
which it was declared 'Billy Barlow's' dress at a 
circus would be decent in comparison. Price him- 
self wore frequently on his shoulders but a brown 
linen duster, and this and his white hair streaming 
on the battle-field made him a singular figure. It 
often flapped, this duster did, in the front of the 
battle, even as the white plume of Henry of 
Navarre waved where the carnage w^as greatest on 
the field of Ivry." 

The army of the Missouri State Guards never 
marched under the Stars and Bars, the flag of the 
Southern Confederacy. They marched and fought 
under the flag of Missouri. This ensign w^as made 
of blue merino with the arms of the State embla- 
zoned in gold-gilt on each side. 

At Oowskin Prairie Gov. Jackson relinquished 
all authority over the army and Gen. Price became 



74 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

its sole commander. After the battle of PeaKidge, 
Price marched over with 8,000 men to engageGrant 
at Corinth. These all fell in battle before the war 
was over, save a handful. After controllingthe de?;- 
tinies of the cis-Mississippi Missourians for a time, 
Price was assigned to the command of the Trans- 
Mississif>pi Department, and, bidding farewell to 
those he led away from the State, he returned to 
this side of the river, and, invading Missouri, suf- 
fered defeat at Westport. The men commanded 
by Price were as brave as the bravest that ever fol- 
lowed a general. They belonged to the first fami- 
lies of the State. Neither Grant nor Lee com- 
manded any better soldiers than these Missourians 
commanded by Price on either side of the river. 
They are to live in history as long as history lives. 
The coming ages will do them fuller justice than 
the past has done. Edwards says beautifully: 
^'We ask sympathy and honor, and love and glory 
for those who struck with Price and Bowen, and 
Parsons and Green, and Marmaduke and Shelby, 
and Cockrell and Gates, and in after times, per- 
hapB, when Missouri is asked for her jewels, she 
will point to these as her priceless ones." 



CAMPAIGX OF THE MISSOURI STATE GVARDS. 75 

Chapter VIII. 

BATTLE OP WILSON CREEK. 

His death (whose spirit lent a fire 
Even to the dullest peasant in his camp) 
Being bruited once, took fire and heat away 
From the best-tempered courage in his troops. 

— Shakespeare. 

An army had now come forth, created by the 
marvelous energy and genius of General Price. 
This army sprang into being as Minerva sprang 
from the head of Jove, full armed and full grown. 
It was a grim instrument of destruction wielded 
by a master hand. Price Avas one of earth's great 
men; he was great in himself, but great also as the 
exponent of the military instincts of his men. 
These citizen-soldiers drilled themselves into an 
army in one month and fought themselves into vet- 
erans in one battle. Price's army was unique in 
its origin, its purpose and its achievements. It 
had no countrj^ unless it could retake its own. 
Price had no capital to defend, no government to 
obey, no superior to give him orders, no authority 
over him to receive his reports, and no department 
to send him supplies. His army was independent 
and self-supporting; it fought without aid and con- 
tested succesvsfully the sovereignty of the greatest 
government in the world on behalf of the sover- 
eignty of the State. 

When this splendid army turned to devour 



76 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF AIISSOURIANS. 

Lyon, it was animated by the news from Bull Run. 
The South believed itself unconquerable; the 
North believed it; England believed it; the world 
believed it. The battle of Bull Bun seemed to con- 
firm the universal belief in the invincibility of the 
South. 

The battle ot Wilson Creek was the initial move 
in a great plan for regaining the State. Gen. Pil- 
low, one of the heroes of the Mexican War, was to 
come over from Tennessee and join forces w^ith 
Jeff Thompson, the ''Swamp Angel" of southeast- 
ern Missouri. Gen. Hardee, whose Army Tactics 
was the standard work of the day, but which Grant 
avers he did not read, was to come up from noi*th- 
ern Arkansas. Price and McCulloch were to de- 
stroy Lyon, and then all these forces were to con- 
centrate on St Louis, the fall of which was deemed 
inevitable; thence this, the "Army of Liberation," 
would sweep the State and capture all the Federal 
troops or expel them from Missouri's sacred soil. 
Of all the actors who were to play a part in this 
mighty programme. Price alone carried out in 
some degree the role assigned him. 

Gen. Lj^on was at Springfield with 7,000 or 
8,000 troops. Snead thus describes the coming of 
Lyon: 

"The chroniclers of the city still delight to tell 
of the brave appearance that he made that day, as 
he dashed through the streets on his iron-gray 
horse, under escort of a bodv-guard of ten stalwart 
troopers enlisted from among the German butch- 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 77 

ers of St. Louis for that especial duty, and how the 
fearless horsemanship and defiant bearing of these 
bearded warriors, mounted on powerful chargers 
and armed to the teeth AAath great revolvers and 
nuissive swords, their heroic size and ferocious as- 
pect gave lustre to the entry into the chief city of 
the Southwest of the grim soldier who had cap- 
tured the State troops at St. Louis, had driven the 
governor from his capital, had dispersed the army 
that was gathering at Boon vi lie, and had forced 
Jackson and Price and all their men to fly for 
safety into the uttermost part of the State." 

For some weeks Price and Lyon glared at each 
other. Each was eager to fight; each wanted rein- 
forcements; each was fearful that the other was re- 
ceiving reinforcements. It was a fearful time for 
each. But reinforcements came to neither. 

Lyon sent messenger after messenger to Fre- 
mont in St. Louis, crying always, "Soldiers, sol- 
diers, soldiers!" Fremont has been much criti- 
cised for not relieving Lyon. But Fremont may 
not have been altogether blameworthy. His every 
soldier was needed elsewhere. Even a better man 
than the old pathfinder might have failed. A 
messenger said to Fremont: "If you don't send 
reinforcements, Lyon will fight without them." 
Fremont replied: "If Lyon fights, he must do it 
on his own responsibility." And then the first Ee- 
publican candidate for the presidency went on with 
his Oriental splendor and left Lyon to his fate. 
Lyon could wait no longer, believing as he did, that 



78 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

large rebel forces were pouring in from the South 
and massing in his front. The term of enlistment 
of 3,000 of his soldiers, nearly half his army, was 
about to expire. Lyon could delay no longer. A 
regiment came down from Fort Leavenworth and 
a regiment from Boonville. No other reinforce- 
ments came. 

On the other hand, Gen. Price was urging Mc- 
Oulloch to join him against Lyon. McCulloch had 
returned to Arkansas. He had been assigned to 
the department of the Indian Territory. 

Snead writes bitterly, saying: "Missouri, with 
her 100,000 men and resources greater than those 
of all the cotton States together, was worth noth- 
ing to the Confederacy in com]iarison with two 
or three regiments of semi-civilized Indians who 
ouglit never to have been allowed to cross the 
borders of their own territory.'' 

The Richmond Government said to McCulloch: 
"The position of Missouri as a Southern State 
still in the Union requires, as you will readily per- 
ceive, much prudence and circumspection, and it 
ghould only be when necessity and propriety unite 
that active and direct assistance should be af- 
forded by crossing the boundary and entering the 
State." 

Price entreated McCulloch to come with him, 
and finally said: "I am an older man than 
you, General McCullough, and I am not only 
your senior in rank now, but I was a briga- 
dier general in the Mexican War, with an inde- 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 79 

pendent command, when yon were only a cap- 
tain; I have fought and won more battles than 
you have ever witnessed; my force is twice as 
great as yours, and some of my officers rank and 
have seen more service than you, and Ave are also 
upon the soil of our own State; but, Gen. McCul- 
loch, if you will consent to help w^hip Lyon and to 
repossess Missouri, I will put myself and all my 
forces under your command, and we will obey you 
as faithfully as the humblest of your men. * * 
All the honor will be yours. * * You must 
either fight beside us, or look on at a safe distance, 
and see us fight all alone the army which you dare 
not attack even Avith our aid. I must have your 
ansAver before dark, for I intend to attack Lyon to- 
morrow." 

McCulloch hesitated. He said the Missourians 
were not an army, but a mob, and would run at the 
first fire; then his regulars would sustain the brunt 
of the battle. It transpired the next day that Mc- 
Culloch was Avell-nigh routed at first by Sigel, while 
the Missourians Avon a great victory over Lyon. 
McCulloch finally consented to accompany Price 
against Lyon. They marched to Wilson Creek and 
camped at sundown, ten miles from Springfield. 
The plan was to attack and surprise Lyon's en- 
trenchments that night, but a cloud came up in the 
Avest portending rain. There was not a cartridge- 
box in the army. To keep the powder dry they re- 
mained in the camp. After supper— of roasting- 
ears, brought from the near-by fields, the usual 



80 BATTLE t^ AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. . 

fare — the men got up dances before the camp-fires; 
many of them were without arms, but these entered 
the battle the next day against orders, to be ready 
to take the arms of fallen comrades. The next 
morning at daylight a bomb-shell leaped into Price's 
camp-fire, upsetting his coffee-pot. It was a greet- 
ing from L^^on. The Federals had marched from 
Springfield in the night and had surprised the Mis- 
souriaus at breakfast. In a moment there was 
"mounting in hot haste." Thousands of Price's 
men were stampeded and scattered in the woods 
and did not arrive on the battle-field during the 
engagement. But enough were found of steady 
nerve to meet Lyon and hold him back. In the 
midst of the confusion and excitement attendant 
on the surprise in front, a messenger came to Price 
with the news that a similar attack was being 
made in the rear. No pickets had been put out 
the night before at either front or rear. Lyon, 
therefore, had every advantage at the beginning 
of the battle, and he might have won the day had 
Sigel, who planned the battle, been as great ih 
action as in council. But Lyon hardly hoped for 
victory. He was fighting to cover his own retreat. 
He greatly overestimated the strength of Price and 
McOuUoch. He placed their combined forces at 
30,000. Had Price's army numbered that many, 
Lyon's entire command might have been annihi- 
lated on the field of battle, that 10th of August, 
186L Snead says the Union forces numbered 
5,400 men ; of these 1,200 w^ere with Sigel and were 



CA3IPAIGN OF THE iMISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 81 

never in the battle. Lyon entered the battle, 
therefore, with only 4,200 men. The Southern 
forces the night before were 10,175 troops of all 
descriptions. These were utterl}^ surprised by 
Lyon's early morning attack and 4,730 Avere stam- 
peded and lost in the woods. The Southern forces 
were therefore, reduced to 5,439, and some of these 
were in the rear for the purpose of repulsing Sigel. 
Lyon did not know what chances of victory he pos- 
sessed. He could not forget the slaughter of his 
men at Cole Camp and the defeat of Sigel at Car- 
thage. He had himself experienced a bitter skir- 
mish a few da^'s before at Dug Springs with the 
same Southern forces. He was well apprised of 
the indomitable courage of Price's men, and he 
knew that he lay between them and their homes, 
or the sites of their homes marked by blackened 
chimneys, pointing like accusing fingers to heaven. 
Lyon was despondent. He had a premonition of 
his fate. The night before, after marching near 
enough to the unguarded Missourians, he and 
Schofield lay down to sleep between two friendly 
rocks. But Lyon could not sleep. Presently he re- 
marked prophetically: ^'Schofield, I believe in pre- 
sentiments, I have a presentiment that I shall not 
survive this battle." When he went to the attack 
next morning, his onl}^ hope was to cripple Price 
and afterAvards to retreat leisurely and securely 
back to Eolla, the nearest railroad point. This he 
might have done without a battle, but a decisive, 
earnest, courageous nian^ such as Lyon, animated 



82 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

by his "sublime fanaticism," could not retreat from 
such a field without striking* a blow. With true 
military instinct, Price had raised his merino flag 
where the brunt of the fighting fell. Lyon and 
Price were directly in front of each other. It 
w^as an opportunity that both desired. The high 
resolve of the two commanders Avas reflected in 
the hosts of the two lines which came eagerly to 
the bloody work. Here for the first time the Kan- 
sans and the Missourians met in a great battle. 
They had been in temper for such a combat for 
years. On ])art of the field the fight j)roceeded 
as a border skirmish. The tAVo lines would ap- 
proach each other silently, and when separated by 
sixty paces they delivered simultaneously a with- 
ering, deadly fire. Then they silently retired as 
though the work were done; they reloaded their 
weapons and came again. This was the privates' 
battle and it was akin to murder. As the smoke 
thickened in the hot air over this strange battle 
in the woods, the opposing lines ceased to move 
back to reload and only moved back when forced 
to do so by a resistless charge. The carnage be- 
came frightful. The slopes of Bloody Hill were 
strewn with ghastly corpses. Never before had 
such slaughter been witnessed on this continent; 
scarcely yet has it a parallel, save at Gettysburg, 
or Chickamauga, or Franklin. Lyon fought like a 
demon; Price was superb. Bloody Hill was becom- 
ing immortal. Price charged time and again up 
the slope, only to be repulsed by the Federals lying 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 83 

on the crest. The Federals even more often broke 
over the crest of the hill and flowed down like an 
inundation of fire and Avere thrown back. 

One of the Federal officers, writing of the 
beginning of the battle, says: "For a few mo- 
ments I thonght we had won the fight almost 
before w^e had begun it, but just then I saw the 
rebel camp fairly vomiting forth regiment after 
regiment, until it seemed as if there was no end 
of men coming against us. They were coming on 
the left and right and in front .of us — in some 
places in three lines — all on the double-quick, 
and then I changed my mind." 

Lyon wondered what had become of Sigel. 
Then came a shell leaping through space on an 
errand of death, Avith an angry dominating roar 
which sank into a Avail and a sob almost human as 
it died aAAay beyond the ranks. The sound was 
horror made manifest, and it told a mournful 
story. The voice of that projectile was dilferent 
from the uoav familiar voice of Price's round 
shot, which came Avith a petulant Avail, a mingling 
of shriek and squeal. A hundred Federals ex- 
claimed: "My (rod! they are firing Sigel's ammu- 
nition at us." Ly(m Avas desperate, but undis- 
mayed. He was constantly at the front, leading, 
cheering, and directing his men. His horse had 
been killed and he had been twice wounded, 
once in the head. He was begrimed and bloody. 
When King David Avould have gone into the battle 
his folloAvers Avould not permit it, because he was 



84 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

worth ten thousand of them. But Lyon was not 
so restrained. He was reckless of danger. Stur- 
gis gave hira another horse and he rode again to 
the front, swinging liis hat and calling to his men 
to follow. Here, in the furor of the final charge, 
he received his third and fatal wound. He fell 
from his horse and expired with a rifle ball in his 
breast, Avhile the heavy fight went on around him. 
This final charge, like the others, was borne back 
in heavy disaster. When Sturgis learned that 
L^^on had been lost in the charge, he assumed the 
command and ordered the disconsolate troops from 
the field. 

Early in the morning Sigel cautiousdy ap- 
proached Price's and McCulloch's cam]) in the rear. 
The surprise was here as complete as the surprise 
in front. Five weeks before Sigel had been routed 
at Carthage by Jackson's unorganized squads. But 
now they had Price betAveen two fires and they 
would crush hiin. One of the German troopers 
asked: "Where is de man mit de ox cannon?" In 
a moment "Old Sacramento'' replied. Her never- 
to-be forgotten intonation inspired terror. "Mine 
Gott in Himmel!" exclaimed the German, and 
the retreat here was more disastrous than the re- 
treat from Carthage. When the day was done on 
Bloody Hill, Sturgis marched back to Springfield. 
There behind the works he found SigePs men — but 
not all of them. His cannon and a large part of his 
force had been left with McCulloch in the rear of 
Price. It is related on good authority that Sigel 



CAMPAWN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 85 

plundered McCiilloch's camp himself and then 
waited for Ljon to drive Price to him. And while 
he waited the unexpected happened. McGulloch, 
who fled at first, came back, and Sigel's army was 
destroyed. 

Snead, who was Price's aid, and who wrote an 
un warped, impartial book, ^^'lie Fight for Mis- 
souri," concluding the same with an account of 
this battle, says: 

^'Sturgis retreated to Holla, 125 miles, with an 
enormous army train of over 400 heavily laden 
wagons, among whose spoils were |210,000 that 
had been taken from the State Bank at Spring- 
field. The troops moved at day, inextricably 
mixed up with the multitude of fugitives with their 
wives and children; their horses and cattle, their 
wagons and carts and household goods were flying 
before Ben McCuUoch, whose very name was then 
a terror to the Union men of Missouri, that they 
more nearly resembled a crowd of refugees than 
an army of organized troops. In this condition 
they scampered along to Kolla, and arrived there 
August 17th, seven days after the battle. 

^^All this time, during all this disorderly retreat 
of a defeated army over difficult roads and through 
a not friendly population, more than twice its num- 
bers of well mounted and w illing Southern soldiers 
lay absolutely idle at Springfield. They might eas- 
ily have captured the entire force and its richly 
loaded train, worth more than |1,500,000, and with 
the captured store, could have armed and supplied 



86 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

10,000 Confederates. But McGullocli sulked in 
his tent and his army melted away. Nothing ex- 
cuses that brave soldier's conduct on this occasion, 
except the fact that the Confederate Government 
was then opposed to an aggressive war or the in- 
vasion of an}' State which had not seceded and 
joined the Southern Confederacy." 

The losses at Wilson Creek were heavy. The 
loss on each side Avas 25 per cent — a bloody record. 
The battle was mainly fought at Bloody Hill, be- 
tween 3,550 Union men, who lost 892, and 4,239 
Southern men, who lost 988. 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI ^TATE GUA.RD8. 87 

Chapter IX. 

FROM SPRINGFIELD TO LEXINGTON. 

General Price, he marched to Lexington, 
And there he thrashed out Mulligan. 

—Om Rchcl Song. 

Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching; 

Cheer up, comrades, they will come, 
And beneath our starry flag 
We will breath the air again 

Of freedom in our own beloved home. 

— Old Ffxloral Song. 

There is something superb in the march of tin 
army. If the army is a victorious one and is 
marching through a friendly region, its progress 
will be triumphal. Price's army rested awhile at 
Springfield; then it moved across the State, con- 
scious of its power, thrilling its foes with appre- 
hension and awe, and was greeted by salvos of 
welcome from its friends. It swept to the north 
along parallel roads and struck the Federal base 
at Lexington with the impact of a hurricane. Af- 
ter a great battle an army is lame and halt and for 
days is weary and disinclined to move. The men 
are nervous, moody, and fretful. If the army has 
lost a fourth of its men, as Price's did at Wilson 
Creek, it will need to be reorganized and reoffi- 
cered and its morale reestablished. After the Fed- 
erals departed from Bloody Hill at Wilson Creek, 
the exhausted victors lay down where they were 



88 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIAN8. 

and rested. A few of the dead were buried that 
afternoon, but not many. A battle-field after 
nightfall, silent and terrible in agony, is one of the 
most appalling features of war. The following 
artistic delineation of a night-enw^rapped battle- 
field is not inapplicable to the field of Wilson 
Creek : 

^^From dark to midnight there is groaning and 
wailing. Then a fear comes upon the wounded 
men and they are silent. It is not fear of death — 
not fear of the dead beside them — but of the night 
itself, of the ghouls who may come to plunder. 
This feeling of fear even extends to the w^ounded 
horses. A wounded horse often lies down as soon 
as he is struck. When he finds himself growing 
w^eaker, his aim is to get upon his feet again. If 
he can do so, he will stand with his legs braced and 
peer into the darkness and neigh and whinny his 
hopes and fears. If he cannot rise, he will la}^ his 
head on the ground and sigh and sob, and the noise 
will add to the fright of the wounded men within 
hearing. By midnight the field is quiet. A plun- 
derer roaming about will imagine that all the 
fallen are dead. Ue w ill not know to the contrary 
until he lays hands upon them. For an hour or 
two the wounded will remain voiceless and with- 
out movement. Then the darkness and the silence 
around him makes him believe that death it at 
hand. He does not want to die among the dead. 
A feeling comes to him that he must crawl away 



AM PA ION OF rUE MISSOURI STATE GILiRDS. 89 

and die by himself, and after a little he acts iip- 
ou it. 

"A burial party finds a battle-field covered 
with trails. The wounded have dragged them- 
selves yards or rods away from the spot where they 
fell. They have drawn themselves over the earth, 
inch by inch, to hide beside logs — in thickets or 
fence corners — in swamp or forest. Those who 
have crawled farthest are dead when mornino- 
comes, and on their faces is a look of terror and 
despair. They were creeping away from death 
and darkness, but were overtaken. And the men 
with the stretchers find those who still live silent 
and wide-eyed and speaking only in whispers. 
They have had their blood chilled by the blackness 
of night and the footsteps of death, and it will be 
days before they find their voices or smile again.*' 

SloAvly and laboriously. Price's army remod- 
eled itself. In a few days it moved u]) to Spring- 
field, and for two weeks Price was occupied in drill- 
ing, recruiting, and reorganizing his forces and in 
dispatching couriers here and there to the North. 
McC'ulloch settled down at Pond Springs. Al- 
though he was in nominal command at Wilson 
Creek, and although he received from the Confed- 
erate Congress a vote of thanks for the victory, 
he failed to achieve the glory so justly earned by 
Price. But he had lost the most precious hours of 
the battle in chasing Sigel. McCulloch was a 
brave man, and Price would have fared badly that 
day without the aid of the regiments from Ar- 



90 BATTLEIS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

kansas, Texas, and Lousiana. lu two weeks Me- 
Ciilloeli abandoned the State of Missonri and 
dropped back into xVrkansas and rested until the 
battle of Pea Ivid^e. Pearce, of the Arkansas 
State Guards, soon disbanded his men whose terms 
of service expired. 

When every possible preparation had been 
completed and the final niessen<>;ers had been dis- 
patched to Harris and Green north of the river. 
General Price put his army into unexpected mo- 
tion. The State of Kansas was instantly in a furor 
of excitement and alarm, fearing an invasion. 
General Lane, the ''Grim Chieftain,'^ sent swift 
horsemen to summons reinforcements to Ft. Scott 
Colonels Jennison and Johnson Avere sent to lecoi- 
noiter in the direction of Dry Wood. General 
Ivains, with his southwest Missouri forces, was 
there waiting and ready to answer for havin:ji, 
seized a large herd of Government mules tlie diy 
before. A furious battle of several hours' durati )n 
w^as fought, after which the Federals fell back to 
Ft. Scott, whereupon General Lane retreatel t) 
a safe distance into Kansas. He threw up brea t- 
works and remained there until Price had passe 1 
on; then he fell in behind and burned OsceoLi. 
When Lane evacuated Ft. Scott, nearly the entir.' 
male population accompanied him. Jennison was 
left to hold the place until Price should arrive in 
sight During the night Jennison's 400 men van- 
dalized the place, according to their custom. Gen- 
eral Price marched unopposed to Lexington, driv- 



CAMPAIGN OF THE iMIS^WURI ^TATE GUARDS. 91 

ing in a force of Federals under Peabody at 
Warrensburg. 

General Price had ordered Generals Tlios. A. 
Harris and Martin E. Green to join Mm in the 
neighborhood of Lexington with their forces from 
the northern part of the State, where for three 
months they had been organizing under great 
difficulties. Anarchy prevailed in that section. 
Gen. Pope Avas the Federal commander of northern 
Missouri. Wiley Brit ton, a Federal soldier and 
author of "The Civil War on the Border,'^ says: 

"The drunken and lawless acts of the Federal 
soldiers were believed to have been countenanced 
from headquarters, instead of being corrected. 
Union men were insulted and robbed and plun- 
dered of their property, and his (Pope's) policy was 
regarded as a license for such acts. In one in- 
stance it is asserted and not denied that the mem- 
bers of a regiment shipped over sixty head of horses 
and mules taken from citizens to Chicago to be 
sold, the proceeds of Avhich went to the men's pri- 
vate accounts. In numerous other cases the Fed- 
eral soldiers appropriated to their private use the 
property of citizens of the localities through which 
they marched or where they were stationed. The 
Federal soldiers also in several cases fired at the 
citizens from the railroad trains with as little con- 
cern as they would fire at a flock of birds. Such 
abuses tended to alienate all classes instead of 
making them fast friends of the Government. 
Bands of Secessionists were allow^ed to organize 



92 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOVRIANS. 

and commit depredations within less than a day's 
march of the idle Federal troops, and weeks passed 
without efforts being made to disperse them. * * 

"General Pope was not alone in the short- 
sighted policy of punishing the citizens indiscrim- 
inately for the war-like acts of the Secessionists. 
He had a rival in General Lane, commanding the 
Kansas brigade, then operating in the western 
counties of Missouri, between Fort Scott and Kan- 
sas City. Gen. Lane had acted with commendable 
energy and zeal in raising and organizing troops 
to defend Kansas from invasion. As Generals 
Price and Kains marched north toward Lexington, 
after the action at Dry Wood, Gen. Lane contin- 
ually threatened the left flank of the Southern 
forces, and no doubt did much good in preventing 
detachments of Secessionists from making raids 
into Kansas. Hearing that a considerable force 
of Secessionists had been left at Osceola to guard 
Price's ammunition train and other supplies col- 
lected at that point for his army. Gen. Lane made 
a rapid march with his command to that place for 
the puri^ose of capturing and destroying the train 
and supi^lies. When he arrived near town he met 
with scmie resistance from a small f(UT-e of the ene- 
my. He then ordered up his battery of four guns 
and commenced to shell the woods and town. Af- 
ter a little skirmishing, the Secessionists retreated, 
and Gen. Lane moved into town, and not only de- 
stroyed the stores which had been collected for the 
Southern forces, but burned the place to ashes. 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 93 

It was the county seat of St. Clair County, was the 
head of navigation on the Osage, and contained 
much substantial wealth for a town of its size. 

"Many of the merchants of western and south- 
western Missouri and the Indian Territory had 
their goods shipped from tlie East to Osceola, and 
from thence hauled in wagons to their destination. 
As it was the nearest shipping-point to the lead 
mines of tlie Southwest, hundreds of tons of lead 
turned out by the Granby mines were hauled there 
annually and shipped to St. Louis. 

"In destroying the town. Gen. Lane seemed to 
be unconscious of the fact that his conduct would 
be just excuse for retaliation, and that it might 
possibly come with interest, and he did not seem 
to realize that he was making a name for his com- 
mand that should not attach to troops engaged 
in honorable warfare. Perhaps upwards of one- 
third of the people of St. Clair County were Union- 
ists, and many of the men were in the Federal 
army; some, too, in Kansas regiments. Gen. Lane 
destroyed and appropriated their property with the 
same recklessness that he did the property of the 
Secessionists. He was incapable of seeing that 
the loyal people of Missouri were entitled to the 
protection of the Federal Government, even if they 
were fighting its battles.'' 



94 BATTLE IS AND BIOGRAFHIEH OF MISSOURIANS. 

Chapter X. 

BATTLE OF LEXINGTON. 

There stood a hill not faj", whose grisly top 
Belched fire and rolling smoke. 

— Milton. 

Why the Federals were unprepa-red to receive 
Price at Lexington remains one of tlie mysteries 
of history. 

Colonel Mulligan, commandant of the place, 
knew of the approach of Price two weeks before 
the beginning of the siege, and had sent nrgent 
messages to Fremont for reinforcements. The 
only reply vouchsafed was an order to hold Lex- 
ington to the last extremity. General Pope was 
north of the river with 5,000 to 10,000 Federals; 
Sturgis had a large force at Macon City, whither 
he had fled from Wilson Creek. Jeff. C. Davis held 
Jefferson City with 10,000 troops; a fleet of trans- 
ports might have been sent in that time from St. 
Louis; there were the forces at Leavenworth, and 
even General Lane might have followed behind 
Price from Fort Scott. 

There were 50,000 Federal troops in Missouri, 
armed and maintained by the Government for no 
other purpose than to meet such attacks as now 
threatened liexington. Every commander in the 
State knew what Price meant to do. By railroad 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 95 

aud river these 50,000 troops could have all been 
sent to Lexington; half that number should have 
been sent there. Yet Mulligan was left to his fate. 
Fremont did order Jeff. O. Davis to go by rail to 
Sedalia, western terminus of the Missouri Pacific 
Kailroad, and to march from there with a large 
force to relieve Mulligan. Price would have cov- 
ered the distance between Sedalia and Lexin.i- 
ton under such circumstances in one day. Davis 
thought the trip impracticable, and disobeyed the 
order. General Sturgis was ordered forward from 
Macon City, and he, with ^'Bloody Hill" green in 
his memory, made a belated and futile elTort to 
reach Lexington, the only effort of any Federal 
commander. 

General Price reached Lexington on Septem- 
ber 13, 1861, chasing Colonel Peabody. The latter 
had gone to Warrensburg to caiTy out the pro- 
visions of Fremont's proclamation, and was sur- 
prised by General Price. Peabody delayed the 
pursuit and saved himself by burning the biidg' s 
behind him as he retreated to Lexington. 

After notifying Mulligan of his presence by 
copious salutes from Guibor's and Bledsoe's bat- 
teries, General Price went into camp at the fair 
grounds, two miles south of the city, and began 
systematically to draw his lines tightly around 
the l)eleaguered garrison. General Parsons, who 
branched off from Price's army to watch Sedalia, 
was ordered to Lexington. Cols. Sanders and Pat- 
ton were coming down from northwest Missouri, 



96 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

and at Blue Mills fought a stirring battle when 
they attempted to cross the Missouri IJiver. Gen 
eral Green was soon to arrive, and Harris had al- 
ready arrived. None of Price's reinforcements 
failed him, while Mulligan Avaited and looked in 
vain for help which he ought to have had by every 
tenet of military science. 

If it seems hard that Mulligan was left unsup- 
ported by the War Department of his Government 
in this trying hour, his great opponent seems to 
have been equally neglected by the Confederate 
Government True, Price was not fighting for the 
(J'onfederacy directly, but he was fighting its ene- 
mies and should have had its support. 

Mulligan did everything possible to save his 
command except to fly across the river in boats 
moored at the wharf. He constructed around the 
Masonic College a redan of great strength, with 
embrasures, parapets, and a banquette f < r barbette 
guns. The works were greatly strengthened dur- 
ing the five days of Price's preparation. 

These five days were enough for the utter anni- 
hilation of Price by the Federals. But Price was 
taking no unwarranted risk. He knew the people 
of Missouri as no other man knew them. He had 
personal and well-known friends in every hamlet 
and township and neighborhood. He expecteit 
these to rally to his standard. Fremont had issued 
his famous proclamation on August 30th, which 
was so radical that President Lincoln modified 
it by annulling two of its extremest provisions, 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 97 

namel3% the one emancipating the shives of Mis- 
souri and the one confiscating private propert}^, 
real and personal. Another provision of the proc- 
lamation established martial law over a large part 
of the State. Price rightly guessed that this in- 
considerate and rigorous proclamation would send 
recruits to his camp, and everywhere benefit the 
cause for which he was fighting. 

The situation was dramatic and heroic. Mul- 
ligan, with his riiicago Irish, and Peabody, with 
his Missouri militia, waited gallantly for destruc- 
tion, which was obviously upon them. Mulligan's 
men had seen much skirmishing since their occu- 
pation of Lexington a few weeks before the siege. 
Colonel Eoute, of Liberty, led a thousand unorgan- 
ized men from Clay and Jackson counties against 
Mulligan. These camped at the fair grounds, but 
they came away after causing Mulligan some un- 
easiness, perhaps all they expected to accomplish. 

Capt. Shelby, restless, enterprising, had arrived 
from Springfield Avith his company ahead of the 
main army. Mulligan's scouts and Shelby's men 
had met and fired at each other not infrequently 
at different places in Lafayette County. During 
the week that Price was encamped at the fair 
grounds there were numerous conflicts between 
scouts and pickets. A great deal of powder was 
wasted in this way with no effect other than the 
effect of keeping the excitement at fever heat on 
both sides. Eagerness for the great battle was 
thus engendered. 



98 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

While encamped at the fair grounds Gen. Price 
dispatched Gen. D. R. Atchison on the road to- 
ward St. Joseph to hasten forward the command 
under Col. Thos. Patten. Gen. Atchison had been 
United States senator from Missouri, and had 
acted as president of the Senate. He met Patten 
at Blue Mills Landing, where an attack of Federals 
was repulsed in an hour's engagement on Tuesday, 
the 17th. 

On Wednesday morning, September 18, 18G1, 
Gen. Price ordered the assault from all directions 
on Mulligan's works. Gen. liains was stationed 
northeast of the fortifications, while Gen. Parsons 
was southwest, across the deep ravine. Col. Con- 
greve Jackson's and Gen. Stine's divisions were 
held as reserves and were not engaged. Batteries 
were planted at distances of six hundred yards on 
four sides of the fortifications. The batteries were 
ccmimanded by Churchill, Clark, Hi Bledsoe, Lan- 
dis, of St. Joseph, and Guibor, of St. Louis. At an 
early hour the various divisions were in the posi- 
tions assigned them. Sharj^sliooters Averesent for- 
ward from all quarters and at the signal the battle 
began with a tremendous fusillade from all attack- 
ing parties. The batteries opened with the sound 
of a thousand storms. The beleaguered Federals 
replied gallantly. For three days the thunder of 
battle shook the foundations of the earth. Almost 
at the beginning of the battle, Col. Eives, acting in 
place of Gen. Slack, led his own regiment and 
Col. Hughes' down the river bank to the landing, 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 99 

where he captured a steamboat. He was relu- 
forced by Gens. Harris and McBi'ide. The boat 
was h)aded afterwards with 2,000 sokliers, who 
were sent to the opposite bank as a gnard ai^ainst 
Stiirgis, w]io was cominc^ up from Macon Cit3\ 
Just above the landin^i^ and near the Federal outer 
entrenchments stood the residence of Col. Ander- 
son. Above it floated the sacred hospital M<^. 
Those Avho were ca]>turing- the boat were fired up- 
on from this hospital. Several companies of Har- 
ris' command charged the house and took it, a 
splendid foothold within the P^deral lines. Mean- 
time Harris and McBride took possession of the 
impregnable bluffs nortli of the Anderson house. 
These positions enabhMl the besiegers to so harass 
and annoy the Federals that Mulligan ordered a 
strong force to retake the Anderson house. His 
order was carried out to perfection. But the 
house Avas held but a few minutes by the Federals. 
Harris charged the ])lace again and took it and 
held it. The final assault on the fortifications 
was made at the sloi)e guarded by the Anderson 
house. Before the end of the first day, a messen- 
ger from Gen. Atchison arrived at Price's head- 
quarters Avith news of the battle at Blue Mills. 
The news was received by the army with a great 
shout. 

On Thursday morning the attack was renewed, 
after a restful night. A Federal newspaper writer 
of the time, an eye-witness, wrote: "Thursday jthe 
cannonade amounted to but little — it was mainly 



100 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

confined to the twelve-pounder of the Confederates, 
with an occasional reply from the besieged. But 
the cracking of small-arms was incessant, and so 
thick and close were the enemy about the works, 
and so accurate the aim of their sharpshooters, that 
a man, a head, or a cap shown for a single instant 
above the works was sure to be saluted with fifty 
balls that never went many inches from the mark.'' 
Thursday night Price ordered hot shot fired into 
the college, hoping to burn the building or explode 
the Federal magazine, which, however, was kept 
in the basement. On Friday morning the pro- 
gramme of the preceding days was resumed. The 
batteries were at work early and the sharpshoot- 
ers occupied every tree, rock, elevation, gully, 
house, or other sheltering object in the vicinity of 
the works. On the river side the fighting had all 
the time been heavy from the Anderson house and 
the extemporized fortifications north of it. At the 
wharf several hundred bales of hemp were await- 
ing shipment. The hemp industry was a large one 
in those days. The soldiers saturated these hemp 
bales with water, then rolled them up the hill. 
Behind each moving bale were crouched two or 
three soldiers, firing as they came. Mulligan 
turned loose his batteries and the full tide of lead 
from his small-arms upon the advancing breast- 
works. Slowly and laboriously, but surely and 
steadily, the moving forts aiiproached the Federal 
position. It was now only a question of a few 



CA3IPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 101 

hours when a large part of Price's army would be 
clambering into the Federal fortifications. 

Bevier quotes a Federal writer: "Let sneering 
Europeans no longer dispute our capacity for war, 
for here we have an idea developed in the heat of 
battle by a Western general, which excels the best 
strateg}' ever developed inLombardy or theCrimea. 
It was a stroke of genius — one of thosehappy adap- 
tations of chance means which prove the talent of 
the general and elevate the art of battle above the 
level of mere downright force. It excels, by far, 
the fine conception of Jackson's breastw^orks at 
New Orleans, for it engrafts upon that artifice a 
superior idea. It was an active rather than a pas- 
sive stratagem, and inspired an inert and merely 
resisting body with a living, moving and assailable 
function. 

"We have heard of flying artillery, and seen its 
execution; but who ever heard before of flying re- 
doubts, which, while they give shelter to an ad- 
vancing line, can successfully withstand the heav- 
iest cannonade. Poor Mulligan must have gazed 
upon this miracle, in the method of approach, with 
much of the same wonder as the Scottish king be- 
held from liis battlements the advance of Birnam 
wood upon Dunsinane, and his heart must have 
sunk as heavily within him at the sight. No valor 
could withstand the marching bastion. It was 
impregnable to bayonet charges and inaccessible 
to cavalry, and the force behind it was superior to 
his own." 



102 BATTLED AND BIOGRAPHIES OF AIISSOURIANS. 

Some time in the afternoon Major Becker, of 
the Home Guards, ran out a white flag, at his oAvn 
suggestion. Mulligan a\ as not ready to surrender, 
and he ordered Becker under arrest and gave or- 
ders for the battle to be resumed. The firing, how- 
ever, gradually subsided, and a parley ensued, at 
which terms of cai)itulation were agreed upon. If 
Mulligan was averse to surrendering, Col. Bh^lsoe 
was equally opposed to it. Gen. Price sent three 
orders to Bledsoe to stop firing his battery. The 
garrison surrendered and 3,500 Federals became 
prisoners of war. These were paroled and on Sat- 
urday and Sunday mornings were liberated on the 
oj)posite side of the Missouri River. Among those 
captured were Colonels Mulligan, Peabod^^, Mar- 
shall, White, G rover, and Major Van Horn. The 
property surrendered was immense, arms, ammuni- 
tion, wagons, teams, camp equipage, more than a 
hundred thousand dollars' worth of commissary 
stores, and nearly a million of money. The latter 
had been' taken from tlie P'armers' Bank at Lexing- 
ton, in accordance Avitli the contiscation orders 
issued by Gen. Fremont. The Bank of Warrens- 
burg would have suffered in the same way under 
the same order had not Price arrived there when he 
did and driven Col. Peabody back to Lexington. 
Col. Mulligan refused to be paroled, inasmuch as 
his Government did not reco'>nize the State Guards 
as belligerents. He was, therefore, held as a pris- 
oner and accom])anied Price's army south. Mul- 
ligan was under the care of Gen. HaiTis, and the 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MIS.SOURI STATE GUARDS. 103 

two men became strongly attached to each other 
during the several weeks the}' were together. 
Mulligan Avas finally exchanged and fell in battle, 
fighting for the Union, somewhere be^^ond the Mis- 
sissippi. Harris Avas elected to the Confederate 
Congress. 

Notes, 
U. S. (Irant, AAiio Avas in northern Missouri 
during the summer of 1861, makes notable men- 
tion of General Thos. A. Harris in his "Memoirs.*' 
Says Grant: ''As we api)roached the brow of the 
hill from which it was expected we could see Har- 
ris' camp, and possibly find his men ready formel 
to meet us, my heart kept getting higher and 
higher, until it felt to me as though it was in my 
throat I would haA e giA^en anything then to have 
been back in Illinois, but I had not the moral cour- 
age to halt and consider what to do; I kept right 
on. When we reached a i3oint from which the 
valley below was in full view, I halted. The place 
wiiere Harris had been encamped a few days be- 
fore was still there, and the marks of a recent 
encampment Avere plainly visible, but the tio-^pj 
were gone. My heart resumed its place. It oc- 
curred to me that Harris had been as much afraid 
of me as I had been of him. This was a vieAV of 
the question I had never taken before; but it was 
one I never forgot afterAvards. From that event 
to the close of the Avar I never felt trepidation 
upon confronting an enemy, though I ahvays felt 
more or less anxiety.'' 



104 J^A^TTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

A newspai^er writer of the time, who posses- 
sed most decided Federal sympathies, wrote of the 
battle: ^^Tlie Home Guards, as. a general thing, 
sneaked into the trenches and refused to fight at 
all — the cannon were useless for the w^ant of am- 
munition. Dead horses strewed the ground in 
every direction, producing a most intolerable odor. 
These, and perhaps similar circumstances, charac- 
terized the condition of affairs at about the time of 
the capitulation, and were sufficient not only to 
drive a man into surrender, but into suicide or 
insanity." 

The same newspaper article describes the ap- 
pearance and conduct of Price's men and officers 
after the victory. The officers deported them- 
selve as gentlemen, but the howls of joy and 
drunken jubilation, from thirty thousand throats, 
beggars all descriptions. The author of the arti- 
cle writes as follows : 

"Here went one fellow in a shirt of brilliant 
green, on his side an immense cavalry sabre, in his 
belt two navy revolvers and a Bowie knife, and 
slung from his shoulder a Sharp's rifle. Tlight by 
his side was another, upon whose liip dangled a 
light medical sword, in his hand a double-bar- 
relled shot-gun, in his boot an immense scythe, on 
his heel the inevitable spur, his whole appearance, 
from tattered boot, througii which gazed auda- 
ciously his toes, to the top of his head, indicating 
that the plunderings of many regions made up his 
whole. Generally, the soldiers were armed with 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 105 

shot-guns or squirrel rifles. Some had the old 
flint-lock muskets, a few had Minie guns, and 
others Sharp's or Maynard's rifles, while all, to 
the poorest, had horses. * * * 

"I saw one case that shows the Confederate 
style of fighting. An old Texan, dressed in buck- 
skin and armed with a long rifle, used to go up to 
the works every morning about seven o'clock, car- 
rying his dinner in a tin pail. Taking a good posi- 
tion, he banged away at the Federals till noon, 
then rested an hour, ate his dinner, after which he 
resumed operations till six p. m., when he re- 
turned home to supper and a night's sleep. The 
next day a little before seven saw him, dinner and 
rifle in hand, trudging up the street to begin again 
his regular day's work — and in this style he con- 
tinued till the surrender." 

Gen. Sturgis made a feeble effort to reach Lex- 
ington. He disembarked his forces at Utica on 
the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, some forty 
miles north of Lexington. This was Tuesday 
morning. By twelve o'clock noon he had under 
arrest some twenty men and one captain for pilfer- 
ing around town. Meantime Sturgis had been 
busy pressing wagons and teams for the overland 
trip to Lexington. The troops marched ten miles 
that afternoon and then camped until morning. 
The newspaper writer above quoted says: 

^^Wednesday morning about eight o'clock, and 
when at a distance of some thirty miles from Lex- 
ington, the whole command was electrified by the 

8 



106 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

faint mutter of a cannonade that crept up sullenly 
on the air from the direction of Lexington. All 
day, without a moment's intermission, and that 
night up to midnight, the roar of the conflict came 
up from the south as if a half-dozen thunderstorms 
had met and were battling on the distant horizon. 
The day Avas savagely hot, and the men, unused to 
walking, although inspired by the music that 
seemed inviting them on, gave out in scores. So 
that, notwithstanding the march was kept up till 
long after dark, only twenty miles were made that 
day. They were now within fifteen miles of Lex- 
ington, and Gen. Sturgis determined to halt the 
men, give them a few hours' sleep, then push on. 
At one o'clock in the morning the command was 
roused up, a cup of coffee was dealt around, and 
the march resumed.'' 

Sturgis had sent a messenger ahead to inform 
Mulligan of his coming. The messenger fell into 
the hands of Price's scouts. He was searched and 
the dispatches taken from the lining of his coat. 
After the boats were taken on Thursday, Price 
sent over a force to wait for Sturgis on the north 
side of the river. But Sturgis did not arrive. 
lie abandoned his impedimenta to Price — wagons, 
teams, tents, everything — and fled to Liberty 
Landing, where he embarked for Leavenworth. 

Our illustration, "The Surrender of Mulligan," 
is from an old painting copied by Miss Bertha Cald- 
well, daughter of T. C. Caldwell, of Independence, 
Mo. It is a faithful portrayal of the appearance 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 107 

of the victors as they marched up to take posses- 
sion of the Federal works. 

Mulligan says in an article in ^^Battles and 
Leaders of the Civil War" : ^'Our cartridges were 
now^ nearly used up, many of our brave fellows 
had fallen, and it was evident that the fight must 
soon cease, when at 3 o'clock an orderly came, say- 
ing the enemy had sent a flag of truce. With the 
flag came a note from General Price, asking, ^Why 
has the firing ceased?' I returned it with the 
reply written on the back: ^General, I hardly 
know^ unless you have surrendered.' He at once 
took pains to assure me that this was not the case. 
I then discovered that the major of another regi- 
ment, in spite of orders, had raised a white flag." 



108 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIANS. 



Chapter XI. 

FROM LEXINGTON TO PEA RIDGE. 

Thus, sometimes, hath the brightest day a cloud; 
And after summer, evermore succeeds 
Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold. 

— Shakespeare. 

The indifference of the Federal troops in Mis- 
souri to the fall of Lexington profoundly stirred 
President Lincoln. He urged Fremont to repair 
the loss without delay. Price remained a full 
week in Lexington after capturing the place. By 
that time Fremont's vast military machine was 
put into slow motion. Price was in danger of be- 
ing crushed. He faced about and made off leis- 
urely for the South, like a hunted lion that bounds 
away, but is not much afraid. Pope was in his 
rear with 10,000 troops; Sigel wa& at Sedalia with 
nearly 10,000; Hunter was at Versailles with 
10,000; Gens, Asboth and McKinstry were at Tip- 
ton and Syracuse Avith an aggregate of more than 
10,000; on the west Gen. S. D. Sturgis was at Kan- 
sas City with 3,000, and Lane was a little further 
south w^ith 2,500. This spectacular array of Fed- 
eral forces was highly gratifying to Fremont, who 
came on from St. Louis to superintend personally 
the movements w^hich he now ordered. He left St 
Louis, September 27th, the day that Price broke 
camp at Lexington. Price had hoped to winter at 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 109 

Lexington, but he was now in a trap and must run 
the gauntlet for 150 miles south to safety. He ran 
slowly, ten miles a day. He was compelled to dis- 
band large bodies of unarmed recruits. Moving 
forward, he ordered demonstrations made to the 
right and to the left, while his center proceeded 
with his immense train. The Federals were de- 
ceived by these feints of their wily foe. It was a 
splendid game, and Price won it. McCulloch had 
agreed to send up wagon-loads of lead from the 
Granby mines in Newton Counly, but he failed of 
his promise, alleging that Price would hardly need 
the lead, being forced to retreat, as predicted by 
McCulloch. 

A vigorous movement of Polk's and Hardee's 
forces into southeast Mfssouri at this time would 
have drawn Fremont in that direction to protect 
St Louis. Then McCulloch should have joined 
Price, and the combined army might have wintered 
on the Missouri Eiver. But the State of Missouri 
had not yet seceded, and therefore it was no part 
of the Southern Confederacy and had no legal 
claim on the aid of the Confederate Army. 

Price's army halted for two weeks at Neosho. 
Here, by proclamation of Gov. Jackson, the Legis- 
lature convened. An ordinance of secession was 
passed. Senators and representatives were chos- 
en to the Confederate Congress at Richmond. Mc- 
Culloch could now conscientiously invade the 
State, and he came gladly, uniting his forces with 



110 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

Price's; remaining, however, in Missouri but a few 
days. 

After Price had effected his masterly retreat, 
Fremont came pouring after him. Price fell back 
to Cassville in Barry County and prepared to 
engage Fremont's forces. By this time Lincoln 
was thoroughly disgusted with Fremont, and or- 
dered his removal. Gen. Hunter, who succeeded 
Fremont, ordered a retro<Trade movement. The 
United States had expended and squandered, 
through Fremont,* millions of dollars to expel Price 
from the State and now the project was abandoned. 
Price renewed his plan of wintering on the Mis- 
souri River, but .again McCulloch refused to go 
with him, holding that his men were unacclimated 
and insuflficientl}' clothed to bear the rigors of a 
Missouri winter. 

In a few weeks Hunter was succeeded by Gen. 
Halleck. The situation speedily changed. Price's 
army had gone into winter quarters at Springfield 
and other places in that region. In February, 1862, 
after Price's army had comfortably lodged itself 
in log huts for the winter, and McCulloch's army 
was equally comfortable at Cross Hollows, Ark., 
Gen. Curtis, now in command of the Federal forces 
in the Southwest, threw his legions forward. Price 
had dispatched Capt. Shelby, Col. Hughes, and 
others back to the Missouri River with small forces 
to recruit brigades and to bring south those who 
were disbanded for the want of arms after the bat- 
tle of Lexington. Both Hughes and Shelby re- 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. HI 

joined Price in time to take conspicnons parts in 
the great battle of Pea Kidge. Meantime tlie first 
steps had been taken to organize a Confederate 
army out of the State Guards. Price had no ex- 
pectation of leaving the State. Van Dorn, who 
was now assigned to the command of both Price's 
and McCulloch's armies, advised Price to prepare 
for a new excursion northward. They were to 
take St. Louis, and from there were to overrun 
both Missouri and Illinois. 

Gen. Curtis, whose statue of heroic size may be 
seen at Keokuk, Iowa, now formed the bold scheme 
of invading Arkansas. His initial movements 
were so decisive and vigorous and were executed 
with such wisdom and such consummate prepara- 
tion that Price evacuated Springfield precipitately, 
leaving to Curtis an accumulation of winter sup- 
plies. Price had hardly left Springfield and had 
not yet reached the old battle-field of Wilson 
Creek, when the main body of Curtis' army dashed 
into the evacuated city and hoisted the Stars and 
Stripes over the court-house. 

Price sent swift couriers to McCulloch at Cross 
Hollows and a widespread and instantaneous prep- 
aration was on foot to resist the advance of Curtis. 
Gen. Van Dorn hastened up from Jacksonport, 
Ark. Gen. Price retreated with all possible haste 
in the direction of Cross Hollows, hotly pushed by 
Curtis. Many skirmishes were fought and many 
hardships were endured. Cross Hollows was an 
extensive Confederate stronghold. Curtis made 



112 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

a flank movement to the west, and Cross Hol- 
lows was abandoned to the Federals without 
firing a gun. Price and McCulloch took refuge in 
the Boston Mountains, where on the 3d of March 
they received Gen. Van Dorn with a major-gener- 
aFs salute of forty guns. Curtis now occupied 
Cross Hollows and Fayetteville. He began to feel 
the pressure in his front of the accumulating and 
resentful rebels. The great battle was about to 
be fought. Curtis had been the aggressor until 
now. Knowing that he was about to be attacked, 
he chose a strong position on Sugar Creek and re- 
called his advanced forces to his chosen stronghold 
at Pea Eidge. Van Dorn advanced without de- 
lay, hoping to destroy Sigel at Bentonville and 
Carr at Cross Hollows. Sigel barely escaped, and 
joined Curtis closely pushed by Price. At night 
Van Dorn rested in front of Curtis, just beyond 
cannon range. McCulloch pointed out a road 
leading to the rear of the Federal position. Price 
and Van Dorn immediately after nightfall entered 
this road, and by morning, March 7th, were two 
miles from Curtis in his rear, and occupying the 
only road upon which he could retreat to Missouri. 
McCulloch was left in front of Curtis with his own 
forces and with Generals Pike's and Stand Wait- 
ie's Indians. The plan of battle was designed to 
bag Curtis' entire army. The battle began early 
in the morning and raged on all parts of the large 
field throughout the day. Price advanced stead- 
ily, drawing his lines closely around Curtis, who 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 113 

held a council of war and was about to surrender. 
His headquarters of last night were in possession of 
Price. Between Price with his Missourians on one 
side and McCulloch with his large well-trained 
Confederate veterans on the other, Curtis was 
about crushed. The day had been a hard one on 
all the contending forces. Suddenly Curtis felt 
the pressure from McCulloch give way. The de- 
spairing Curtis was now hopeful. He might yet 
meet the advancing and triumphant Price. Van 
Dorn was writing out a dispatch, late in the after- 
noon, to McCulloch, urging him to press the ene- 
my vigorously in front, and Price would close in 
at the rear, and before dark the contest would 
be ended. The dispatch was never sent Col. Dil- 
lon rode up and reported: ^^McCulloch is dead, 
Mcintosh is dead, Herbert is dead!'' 

Late that night the broken, disorganized, and 
disheartened remnant of McCulloch's proud army 
arrived at Price's camp. They had no ammuni- 
tion, their train having gonejby some criminal mis- 
take, to Bentonville. Curtis was now relieved in 
front, and in the morning Sigel would join his 
friends in front of Price. Van Dorn decided to re- 
treat, although retreating seemed running from 
victory. Van Dorn had ventured into this battle 
with a force only half as great as that commanded 
by Curtis. This force he divided into two parts, 
and b}^ the mischances of the day one part, the 
larger part, was eliminated from further possible 
participation in the battle. Dividing an army and 



114 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

fighting it against a superior force is a doubtful 
expedient, but this was not Van Dorn's fatal mis- 
take at Pea Ridge. Had Van Dorn remained with 
McCulloch at the front, instead of accompanying 
Price to the rear of Curtis, the vanquished would 
have been the victors. McCulloch needed super- 
vision, not Price. McCulloch was a good general, 
but he was also a good sharpshooter; when killed 
he had a Maynard rifle on his shoulder. He ex- 
posed himself unnecessarily. Had he not fallen, 
perhaps all would have been well. 

When night came the soldiers of the contend- 
ing armies rested among their dead. When morn- 
ing came the battle was resumed, mainly by the 
opposing batteries, and for the purpose, on the 
part of Van Dorn, of giving Curtis gentle employ- 
ment until the retreat could be executed, under the 
immediate supervision of General Little. Price's 
men supposed they w^ere making a flank move- 
ment, and were in high spirits. Mutterings of dis- 
content were loud when they learned that they 
were retreating. 

Bevier says: ^^Maintaining the best of order 
in the worst of humors — supplied alone with such 
provisions, principally corn meal and bacon, as 
could be picked up in the country; through floods 
of rain, and over submerged bottom lands and 
swollen rivers, the retreating Missouri brigades 
marched for eight days, and finally camped on 
Frog Bayou, near Van Buren." 

Curtis made no attempt to follow. His army 



CAMPAIGN OF THE MISSOURI STATE GUARDS. 115 

finally drifted toward Helena, and part of it, later 
in the war, fought under Steele. 

While the battle of Pea Ridge was a Federal 
victory, gained principally by Sigel, Van Dorn car- 
ried away some of the substantial fruits of success, 
having captured three hundred prisoners, four 
pieces of artillery, and three baggage wagons. The 
Federal loss in killed was nearly four hundred. 
Van Dorn's loss in killed was less than two hun- 
dred. While in camp near Van Buren, Price re- 
ceived his commission as major-general in the Con- 
federate Army, and with the commission came a 
cry for help from Albert Sidney Johnson. Grant 
was pressing down toward Shiloh. From Van Bu- 
ren, Price marched to Des Arc on White River, and 
there embarked his army for Memphis. It was 
like embarking for another continent 



116 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

Chapter XII . 

FROM DES ARC TO CORINTH. 

A braver choice of dauntless spirits 
Than now the English bottoms have wafted over, 
Did never float upon the swelling tide 
To do offense and scath in Christendom. 

— Shakespeare. 

To go or not to go, that was the question to be 
decided by the men at Des Arc. These citizen- 
soldiers had gone into the Missouri State Guards 
to fight for Missouri and for nothing else. Many 
of them had in past years gone frequently on 
excursions to the Kansas line to repel by force 
marauding bands of Jayhawkers. Defending the 
State against invasion was, therefore, not only a 
principle; it was a habit also, long practiced. 
When the appeal came for help beyond the Missis- 
sippi, where Grant was bearing down on Beaure- 
gard, there were division and debates in the camp 
of the State Guards. Some said: "We will go 
and fight wherever duty calls.'' Others said: 
"We will return to Missouri, if possible, and we 
will fight and die for our State." 

The earliest Confederate camp established for 
recruiting out of the State Guards was on Sac 
River, near Osceola, Mo., in December, 1861. After 
the retreat from Lexington, Price knew his army 
of State Guards must eventually become Confed- 
erate. But not until after the battle of Pea Ridge 



FROM DES ARC TO CORINTH. 117 

was the necessity forced upon the unwilling at- 
tention of the rank and file. Near Van Buren, 
Ark., at Frog Bayou, seventy-five miles beyond the 
Missouri line, the final decision was mostly made. 
General Rains was left in command of those who 
remained; General Price was to command those 
who should go. Here the separation took place, 
but the final farewell was said at Des Arc. on 
White River. Here the men were dismounted, and 
their horses sold to the Government or sent to 
pasture in Texas. Here Price resigned his com- 
mand of the Missouri State Guards and issued a 
passionate appeal to his followers, in these burn- 
ing words : 

^^Soldiers of the State Guard, I command you 
no longer. I have this' day resigned the commis- 
sion which your patient endurance, your devoted 
patriotism, and your dauntless bravery have made 
so honorable. I have done this that I might the 
better serve you, our State, and our country; that 
I may the sooner lead you back to the fertile 
prairies, the rich woodlands and majestic streams 
of our beloved Missouri; that I may more certainly 
restore you to your once more happy homes, and 
to the loved ones there. 

^^Five thousand of those who have fought side 
by side with us, under the Grizzly Bears of Mis- 
souri, have followed me into the Confederate 
camp. They appeal to you, as I do, by all the 
tender memories of the past, not to leave us now, 



118 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

but to go with US wherever the path of duty may 
lead, till we shall have conquered a peace and won 
our independence by brilliant deeds upon new 
fields of battle. 

^'Soldiers of the State Guard, veterans of six 
pitched battles and nearly twenty skirmishes — 
conquerors in them all, your country, with its 
ruined hearths and shrines, rescue forever from 
the terrible thralldom which threatens her. I 
know she will not call in vain. The insolent and 
barbarous hordes which have dared to invade our 
soil, and to desecrate our homes, have just met 
with a signal overthrow beyond the MississipDi. 
Now is the time to end this unhappy war. If 
every man will do his duty, his own roof will shel- 
ter him in peace from the storms of the coming 
winter. 

"Let not history record that men who bore with 
patience the privations of Oowskin Prairte, who 
endured uncomplainingly the heats of a Missouri 
summer, and the frosts and snows of a Missouri 
winter; that the men who met the enemy at Carth- 
age, at Wilson's Creek, at Fort Scott, at Lexing- 
ton, and numerous lesser battle-fields in Missouri, 
and met them but to conquer them ; that the men 
who fought so bravely and so well at Elk Horn; 
that the unpaid soldiers of Missouri were, after so 
many victories, and after so much suffering, un- 
equal to the great task of achieving the independ- 
ence of their magnificent State. 



FROM DES ARC TO CORINTH. 119 

"Soldiers! I go but to make a pathway to our 
homes. Follow me. 

^^Sterling Price. 

"Des Arc, Ark., April 8, 1862.'' 

Many of the State Guards had followed Price 
to Des Arc and many were willing to go with him 
beyond the Mississippi River, but were unwilling 
to become irrevocably attached to the Southern 
Confederacy. They would go for a brief period to 
the relief of Beauregard, but would return. These 
were under Brigadier General M. M. Parsons, by 
special order of Warick Hough, adjutant-general 
of Missouri. 

At this time White Kiver was a seething flood. 
Boats were quickly secured. Price embarked 
with 8,000 troops, sailed down the swollen White 
Kiver, out into the Mississippi, and up to Memphis. 
The mighty Grant was slowly emerging from 
obscurity. His quick, lightning-like decision and 
unerring judgment had won for him the fall of 
Forts Henry and Donelson. He had broken the 
line of Confederate defenses from Bowling Green 
to Columbus; he had fought and dearly won the 
battle of Shiloh. By the success of his brilliant 
strategies, he had driven a wedge into the Confed- 
erate Army and had moved his own front 200 miles 
southward. Beauregard had fallen back to Cor- 
inth, at the extreme northern edge of the State 
of Mississippi. Beauregard was a consummate 
civil engineer as well as a trained strategist. He 
fortified Corinth with great skill. He had also 



120 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIANS. 

constructed the defensive works at Island No. 10, 
which commanded the Mississippi River. A few 
days before Price left Des Arc the battle of Shiloh 
had been fought. But it was not a Confederate 
victory, as reported in Price's camp. On April 8th, 
the date of Price's appeal to his followers at Des 
Arc, Island No. 10 ceased to be a Confederate 
stronghold. Its fall had cost the Federals "fifty 
tons «f powder,'' declared Beauregard. Island 
No. 10 was an outpost of Vicksburg. When Price 
and Van Dorn arrived at Corinth, General Hal- 
leck was approaching the place by the slow process 
of a regular siege. Edwards says: "Halleck dug 
and dug, and pushed his immense army forward 
slowly and painfully as a w^ounded snake." 

Halleck belonged to the old school of soldiers, 
and he believed that Grant had been incautious at 
Shiloh. He would now teach Grant how to be cau- 
tious, and the siege of Corinth was an object les- 
son. Halleck tutoring Grant! The light of history 
reveals nothing more ludicrous. 

At the begining of the war Corinth was un- 
marked on the maps. Its position with reference 
to railroad connections gave it great military im- 
portance. Beauregard threw up fortifications in 
front of Corinth for fifteen miles. Farmington 
was a high point on the east — an important out- 
post. Here occurred the first battle in which 
Price's army took part on the east side of the great 
river. Other Missourians, however, fought at Shi- 
loh. General Bowen, of St. Louis, organized the 



FROM DES ARC TO CORINTH. i2l 

Missouri First Brigade at Memphis, chiefly of men 
who were captured by Lyon at Camp Jackson. 
Bowen's command fought at Shiloh. 

On May 8, 1862, General John Pope occupied 
Farmington. The Confederate generals believed 
they could capture Pope's entire command. A 
combined attack of the forces under Bragg, Har- 
dee, Price, and Van Dorn was made on the morn- 
ing of the 9th. Pope contrived to escape with his 
forces. Three weeks later Beauregard evacuated 
Corinth and retreated farther south. After the 
battle of Farmington, the famous cannon, ^'Old 
Sacramento,'' ceased to be useful. The life of a 
cannon is limited to a few hundred shots. 

Bevier quotes a Northern writer of tlie time: 
"The Confederate strategy since the battle of Shi- 
loh has been as successful as it has been supe- 
rior. * * * If the attack at Shiloh was a sur- 
prise to Grant, the evacuation of Corinth was no 
less a surprise to General Hal leek. * * * * 
Corinth has been searched in vain for a spiked or 
disabled gun. Shame on us! What a clean piece 
of evacuation it was!" 

The army fell back to Tupelo. From here the 
Missouri State Guards, under General Parson, re- 
turned to the Trans-Mississippi Department, Capt. 
Jo. Shelby and Col. John T. Hughes among them. 
General Beauregard fell ill and the command of 
the Army of the West devolved on General Bragg. 

In August General Bragg took his main army 

by rail to Chattanooga, leaving Price in command 
9 



122 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

of the Army of the West, with special instructions 
to observe Grant at Corinth. Van Dorn was in 
command at Vicksburg. Price and Van Dorn 
were independent of each other, and each com- 
manded a corps of tAvo strong divisions. Bevier, 
in this connection, quotes Major-General Dabney 
H. Maury : "And just here were developed the bad 
consequences of having these two commanders 
present in the field without a common superior; 
for, had Price been justified in placing his forces 
under Van Dorn's command at this time, there is 
scarcely a doubt that the enemy would have been 
driven in a few da^^s entirel}'^ beyond the Tennessee 
River. Then would have followed the reinforce- 
ment of Bragg's arm}^ by the corps of Van Dorn 
and Price, and without extraordinary misconduct 
or mischance, the Confederate Army of the Ten- 
nessee might have crossed the Ohio." 

As it was, Price captured luka, wdiere Gen- 
eral Little fell. Nine cannon were captured. A 
great victory over Bosecranz was expected in the 
morning. During the night General Grant came. 
In a council of war, it was decided to fall back, al- 
though Price maintained: "We '11 w^ade through 
him, sir, in the morning. You ought to have seen 
how my boys fought this evening; we drove them 
a mile, sir." On October 3d, Price and Van Dorn 
invested Corinth and during that day and the next 
made disastrous attempts to take the place. 

Maury says: "At sunset the enemy in front 
of Price's corps had been driven into the tow^n at 



FROM DES ARC TO CORINTH. 123 

every point along our whole front, and these troops 
had established their line close up to Corinth." 

The next morning there was a long delay in 
opening the battle. '^But as soon as we began to 
hear the rolling fire of musketry on the left, Mau- 
ry's division broke through the screen of timber 
and into the town, and into the enemy's works. 
We broke his center; the Missourians moved in 
line with us. Within twenty minutes from the 
time we began our movement our colors were 
planted in triumph upon the ramparts of Oorinth. 
But it was a brief triumph, and won at a bloody 
cost. No charge in the history of the war was 
more daring or more bloody. 

"The w^iole of Price's corps penetrated to the 
center of the town of Corinth, and was in position 
to swing around and take the enemy's left wing 
in the rear and flank, for we were 1200 yards in 
rear of the lines on College Hill, which formed the 
enemy's left wing,, and against which our right 
wing, south of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, 
had been arrayed. But since ten a. m. of the pre- 
vious morning our right wing had made no decided 
advance or attack upon the enemy in its front, and 
when Eosecranz found his center broken by our 
charge, believing the demonstration of our right 
wing merely a ^feint,' he withdrew General Stan- 
ley with a heavy force from his left and threw him 
against us. 

"Disarrayed and torn as our lines were, with 
more than one-third of our men down, and with 



124 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

many of our best regimental officers killed and 
wounded, the troops were not ready to meet and 
repel the fresh troops that now, in fine array, came 
upon our right flank from the left of the enemy's 
works on College Hill and swept us out of the 
place. Our men fell back in disorder, but sul- 
lenly. * * * 

"When, after all was over and the whole of the 
Army of the West, now reduced to about 6,000 
men, came out of town and into the woods through 
which we had so confidently charged an hour be- 
fore, generals, colonels, and staff officers in vain 
endeavored to rally the men. They plodded dog- 
gedly along toward the road by which we had 
marched on the day before, and it was not in any 
man's power to form them into line. We found 
Generals Van Dorn and Price within a few hun- 
dred yards of the place, sitting on their horses 
near each other. Van Dorn looked upon the 
thousands of men streaming past him with a min- 
gled expression of sorrow and pity. Old General 
Price looked on the disorder of his darling troops 
with unmitigated anguish. The big tears coursed 
down the old man's bronzed face, and I have never 
witnessed such a picture of mute despair and grief 
as his countenance wore when he looked upon the 
utter defeat of those magnificent troops. He had 
never before known them to fail, and they never 
had failed to carry the lines of any enemy in their 
front; nor did they ever to the close of their noble 
career at Blakely, on the ninth of April, 1865, fail 



FROM DES ARC TO CORINTH. 125 

to defeat the troops before them. I mean no dis- 
paragement to any troops of the Southern Confed- 
eracy when I say the Missouri troops of the Army of 
the West were not surpassed hy any troops in the 
world.^^ — Maury. 

Bevier closes his quotation as to Corinth with 
this paragraph: ^^No commander of the Federal 
armies evinced more tenacity and skill than did 
General Eosecranz during this battle. He was 
one of the ablest of the Union generals, and his 
moderation and humanity in the conduct of war 
kept pace with his courage and skill. Our dead 
received from him all the care due brave men who 
fell in manly warfare, and our wounded and pris- 
oners who fell into his hands attest his soldierly 
courtesy.'' 



126 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

Chapter XIIL 

FROM VICKSBURG TO PEACE. 

General Price crossed to the Cis-Mississipi:>i 
Department with an army of 8,000 Missourians. 
Only 800 of these were alive when peace was made, 
and half of these were languishing sick or wounded 
in hospitals. Such mortality has never been re- 
corded of any other army in all the range of his- 
tory, ancient, medieval, or modern. These Mis- 
sourians were always assigned to the chief posts 
of danger because they were unwavering and of 
exalted morale. Had General Price, the greatest 
of Missouri warriors, been placed in chief com- 
mand of all the forces operating in front of Grant, 
the story of Vicksburg might be totally different. 
Perhaps Grant would not have become com- 
mander-in-chief of United States armies, nor have 
reached the presidency. After the disastrous bat- 
tle of Corinth and the extrication by General Price 
of the army from the perilous position in which it 
had been left by Van Dorn, it fell back to Holly 
Springs and went into camp near that town. Here 
theMissouri command was reorganized. Brigadier 
General John S. Bowen was transferred with the 
Missouri First to Price's corps. Several regiments 
of Arkansans and Missourians were organized into 
a brigade and placed under Colonel Gates. Gen- 



FROM VIGKSBURG TO PEACE. 



127 



eral Martin Green was given command of the Sec- 
ond Brigade. F. M. Cockrell acted as brigadier 
general. 

Generals Lovell and Tighlman represented to 
Jeff, Davis that "Price's urmy was an armed mob, 
without drill or discipline, unsoldierl}^ in appear- 
ance and equipments, and withal a disgrace to the 
service." Van Dorn was ordered to review the 
Missourians and report. In his report to Davis 
and Price he said: '^I have attended reviews of 
the armies of Generals Beauregard, Bragg, Albert 
Sidney and Joseph E. Johnston, and also in the old 
United States service, and T have never seen a finer 
looking body of men, nor of more orderly appear- 
ance and efficiency, nor have I ever witnessed bet- 
ter drill or discipline in any army since I have be- 
longed to the military service.'' 

Soon after this report, but not in consequence 
of it. Gen. Lovell was relieved of the command of 
the Department of Mississippi and East Tennessee 
by order of President Jeff. Davis. General John 
C. Pemberton was appointed in his stead. The 
disparity between the size of the man and the size 
of his position was soon apparent. The greatness 
of Jeff. Davis was not always displayed in his 
selections of subordinates. The campaign in the 
Mississippi Valley passed from failure to failure 
in rapid succession under Beauregard, Bragg, 
Hardee, Van Dorn, Lovell, Pemberton, Joe John- 
ston, and Hood. 

In January, 1863, General Price visited Rich- 



128 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOVRIANS. 

mond for the purpose of inducing the Confederate 
Government to sanction his return with his army 
to Missouri. The interview between General Price 
and Jeff. Davis was a stormy one. (See biography 
of Price.) Davis at last consented, reluctantly, 
that Price's army of Missourians should return at 
the earliest practical date, to be determined by 
General Bragg, a favorite of Jeff. Davis. General 
Price returned to his camp and made a farewell 
speech to his devoted followers. He told them 
that he had sought and had obtained assignment 
to the command of the Trans-Mississippi Depart- 
ment, whither he would go at once. The^^ would 
soon follow him, he said. Butthe time never came 
when the Missourians could be spared from Missis- 
sippi and Tennessee and they never marched again 
under Price. General Grant now addressed all 
his energies and his genius to the apparently hope- 
less task of reducing Vicksburg. General Steele 
was at Helena and the Confederates established 
themselves at Grand Gulf. In April, Colonel 
Cockrell crossed the river and led a perilous ex- 
pedition into the SAvamps of Louisiana. Superior 
skill and energy alone enabled him to get safely 
back to Grand Gulf. At the battles of Grand 
Gulf, Port Gibson, Champion Hills, and Big Black 
the Missourians nobly fought to defend the weak- 
est side of the great line of w^orks around Vicks- 
burg. They were led by such wariors as Bowmen, 
Cockrell, Maury, Green, Gates, Erwin, Bevier, 
Gause, and others. The Missouri batteries did 



FROM YICK8BURG TO PEACE. 129 

great execution and suffered much before Vicks- 
burg under Colonel Hi Bledsoe, Captains Schuyler 
Lowe, Landis, Guibor, Wash, etc. Some of these 
batteries fought at Chattanooga. TheMissourians 
were always in the vortex of destruction and their 
losses were always heavy. As Grant slowly and 
systematically drew his lines nearer to Vicksburg, 
the Confederate armies retreated into the inner 
works of the doomed city. Colonel Bevier, histo- 
rian of the First and Second Brigades, says: "In 
this beleaguered city of many hills the weary and 
war-worn, but brave and undismayed Missourians, 
of Bowen's division, came to a halt after their pro- 
tracted and toilsome marches and battles, faced 
to the front and dressed their lines, sadly thinned 
out, and many a brave fellow missing forever, but 
still as correct, prompt, and soldierly in formation 
as the most exacting martinet could require." The 
terrible weeks of the siege wore away, and famine 
and disease invade the doomed city, great allies of 
the besiegers. 

General Martin E. Green and Colonel Eugene 
Erwin were killed while defending the works. 
Finally, when the last morsels of mule meat and 
dog meat were in the haversacks. General Cock- 
rell proposed to lead a charge with his Missourians 
in an effort to cut through the coils drawn so 
closely around them. But the time for fighting 
had passed and on the Fourth of July Pemberton 
surrendered. 

President Jeff. Davis sent a telegram to Pern- 



130 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

berton thanking the Missourians "for their gal- 
lantry and the discipline manifested by them in 
the campaign just closed, and especially for the 
prompt succor they rendered, as reserves, to every 
weak point and to every doubtful position." Soon 
after the surrender. General Bowen was taken sick 
and died. 

The Confederates were exchanged. Early in 
September we find them settling in winter quar- 
ters at Demopolis. Another reorganization was 
now necessary. The Missouri army was small and 
many regiments were consolidated in order to form 
a few brigades. President Jeff. Davis visited the 
camp and complimented the Missourians very 
highly. 

In the spring of 1864 the Missourians marched 
to Cassville, Georgia, and became an integral part 
of General Joseph E. eTohnston's army. Sherman 
was pressing toward Atlanta, while Grant in- 
vested Richmond. Johnston defended Atlanta 
with a masterly skill, only second to the skill dis- 
played by Lee in defense of the Confederate capital. 
Suddenly an order came from Jeff. Davis relieving 
Johnston of the command of the Army of the Ten- 
nessee and naming as his successor General Hood. 
When Sherman heard that Hood was in command, 
he sprang to his feet and exclaimed: "I know 
that fellow!'' Heavy fighting ensued, reckless, 
massive, headlong charges by Hood and the ulti- 
mate fall of Atlanta. Hood swung back to Sher- 
man's rear, where Sherman most desired him; 
Sherman then began his "march to the sea." 



FROM riGKSBURG TO PEACE. 181 

Hood marched to Allatoona, which was un- 
successfully attacked b^'^ French's division. Hood 
now started on his disastrous expedition to Nash- 
ville. Over muddy roads the army marched to 
Franklin, defended by General Schofield. Here 
was fought a battle, the story of which is as blood- 
curdling as any in the annals of the Civil War. 
The troops came to the attack most gallantly, car- 
rying the outer works and in some places the inner 
works also. Bevier quotes Anderson: ^^The or- 
der to advance was general, and the line moved 
forward with banners streaming and the band of 
our brigade playing; the movement was executed 
with perfect order, and the line, in solid and un- 
broken ranks, charged on. ' A heavy battery from 
a fort some distance in the enemy's rear poured a 
destructive fire on our lines as they moved up. 
Their infantry did not open upon the brigade until 
it was within thirty steps of the works, when it 
was met b^^ a deadly and terrific fire from troops 
armed with the seven-shooting Spencer rifle; and 
here the slaughter of the remainder of that gallant 
band of Missourians Avas almost consummated; in 
less than half a minute most of them went down. 
One of the survivors says, Avhen he looked around 
after the first shock, there were onl}' seven or eight 
men of his company standing, and the ranks of the 
brigade were proportionately thinned. Our lines 
were too weak to carry the works in their front, and 
the order was given to fall back; some, however, 
rushed forward and gained the fortifications, but 



132 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

were there, with few exceptions, killed or made 
prisoners." • 

Bevier quotes again: "General Oockrell went 
into the fight with all the vigor and vim of a Mar- 
shal Ney. In a few minntes he returned, riding 
his wearied horse, severely wounded in both arms 
and in his leg, and unable to dismount until help 
came. The horse of Colonel Gates, which had so 
often followed Cockrell's over many a weary mile 
— all along the tottering line of the Confederacy, 
wherever the carnage was the deadliest — as if by 
instinct, turned and followed him now. His rider 
was powerless to guide him, both arms shot 
through and hanging limp by his side. I shall 
never forget the steady, calm gaze of this old hero 
of many a battle-field, as he sat upon his horse, 
erect as a statute, until I assisted him down and 
he and the general were borne from the battle-field 
through a shower of bullets and balls.'' Bevier 
narrates: "The unfortunate wounded suffered 
untold horrors, many of them remaining on the 
field for ten or twelve hours without food or water, 
in the freezing mud and amid the cries and groans 
of three thousand suffering and dying fellow mor- 
tals, and half that time exposed to the plunging 
shot of both friend and foe." 

Towards midnight Schofield abandoned the 
works and retreated to Nashville, where Thomas 
lay with the main army. 

Bevier says: "When the brigade formed in 
front of Franklin, a field report showed present 



' FROM YICKSBURG TO PEACE. ]33 

687. After the charge, on duty, 240; being a loss 
of nearly two-thirds, almost equal to that of 
the Light Brigade at Balaklava." The battle of 
Franklin occurred on November 30, 1864. 

Hood marched on to Nashville, where the Mis- 
sourians performed some skirmish duty, but before 
the great disastrous battle was fought, they had 
been sent to obstruct the Tennessee River; they 
erected a pontoon bridge, over which Hood's for- 
lorn army escaped south. Bledsoe's battery held 
back most defiantly the pursuing squadrons. The 
retreating men marched like a mob. The Missou- 
rians alone "moved erect, soldierly, shoulder to 
shoulder, with apparently not a single article of 
equipment lost, with a style and bearing as if they 
had never known defeat." 

The army -rested at Tuinelo, the camp of two 
years before; here Hood was relieved of his com- 
mand, at his own request. About February 1, 
1865, the army was ordered to Mobile. En route 
the army was joined by Cockrell, still suffering 
from his wounds, and by Colonel Gates, who had 
lost an arm. The Missourians now numbered 
about 400, all that were left of the 8,000, unless we 
count some 400 languishing with sickness or 
wounds. 

From Mobile the worn veterans were soon or- 
dered to Fort Blakely, whither came General Can- 
by and besieged the works. On April 9th General 
Liddil, first in command, and General Cockrell, 
second in command, surrendered. The prisoners 



134 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

were taken to Meridian, where, on May 4th, they 
were paroled and returned to their homes in 
Missouri. About 150' Missourians escaped into 
the water at Blakely and succeeded in evading 
capture. 



THE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE. 135 

Chapter XIV, 

THE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE. 

The attack on Independence was made at break 
of day, with the rush and overwhelming sudden- 
ness of a whirlwind. This battle was properly a 
prelude to the battle of Lone Jack; more properly a 
part of it. The battle of Independence greatly ex- 
asperated the Federals all over the State; it was a 
portentous renewal of the war in Missouri. Al- 
though the battle was planned by Col. Hughes, 
assisted by Thompson and Hays, the Federal 
authorities for the moment charged the disaster 
to Quantrell, and sent Major Foster out from Lex- 
ington to punish him. Foster came to Lone Jack 
on this mission, and was defeated in one of the 
hardest battles of the war. After the fearful bat- 
tle of Pea Ridge in March, the larger part of the 
State Guards went with Price across the Missis- 
sippi River. These all took service in the Confed- 
erate Army, except Parsons' infantry which re- 
turned in a few weeks to the Trans-Mississippi De- 
partment. Fragments of companies, however, 
lingered along the Southern outskirts of the State, 
or in northern Arkansas. In midsummer, 1862, 
there seemed to be a spr ntaneous, widespread, but 
disconnected movement back into the State. 
From beyond the Mississippi River and out of 
Arkansas came captains, who expected to recruit 



136 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIAifS. 

regiments, and colonels who expected to recruit 
brigades, and lieutenants and privates who ex- 
pected to raise companies. Among those who 
passed beyond the Mississippi River and fought at 
Corinth and then returned were Shelby, Huj^jhes, 
and Thompson. Among those of the State Guards 
who remained in Arkansas were Rains, Cock- 
rell, GolTee, Jackman, Hunter, Tracy, and Hays. 
Quantrell remained in the State. The above offi- 
cers, who were expatriated after the battle of 
Pea Ridge, began to reappear in the State in 
July and August. During their absence the State 
had not been wholly given up to undisputed Fed- 
eral control. Missouri had never been without 
numerous small commands of State Guards, 
squads and companies of guerrillas or other organ- 
izations of Southern sympathizers. These were 
about over the State in independent bands in nu^l- 
bers ranging from a few scores to several hun- 
dreds. The Federal sympathizers were organized 
in equal variety and in greater magnitude. The 
chief difference between the two classes was this : 
all the Confederate organizations were composed 
wholly of Missourians; the Federal organizations 
were composed of soldiers from Kansas, Iowa, Il- 
linois, and Missouri. Such conditions prevailed 
over the State during the entire period of the war, 
and rendered the State at all times a fertile field 
for recruiting. Such conditions resulted also in 
frequent bloody conflicts. General Schofield, Fed- 
eral commander of the Department of Missouri, 



THE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE. 137 

reported over one hundred battles in the State 
between May 1 and September 20, 1862. Dur- 
ing the four years of the Civil War there vrere 
fought 487 engagements in the State of Missouri, 
and reported at the War Department at Washing- 
ton, an average of two a week. Virginia alone 
had a greater number, over 600. 

Among the first, if not the very first, to return 
after the dreadful exodus following the battle of 
Pea Ridge, was Colonel Upton Hays. About the 
1st of eTuly, Colonel Hays came to Quantrell, in 
Henry County, and remained w^ith his band of 
ninety-six men most of the time until July 10th, 
on which date they fought a battle on Walnut 
Creek, in the northwest comer of Henry County. 
Before QuantrelPs next battle, near Index, Cass 
County, Hays said to Quantrell that he wanted 
to get back into Jackson County to resume recruit- 
ing, which he had already commenced, and asked 
Quantrell for a guard of thirty men. Quantrell 
gave Hays the guard, with Geo. Todd as com- 
mander. About the 1st of August, 1862, Hayes 
had recruited about 150 men at a camp on the 
Charlie Cowherd farm, near Lee's Summit. The 
camp was on the high prairie and a flag was raised 
on a very tall pole to indicate the location of the 
camp to all w^ho w^anted to enlist. The flag was 
plainly visible from the top of the court-house in 
Independence. 

Independence was a Federal post, commanded 

by Col. James T. Buel, of the Seventh Missouri 
10 



138 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

Cavalry. Buel took command of the Independ- 
ence post on the 7th of June. The troops under 
his command consisted of three companies of 
the Seventh Missouri Cavalry, two companies of 
Colonel Newgent's battalion, provisional militia, 
commanded by Captains Axline and Thomas, and 
a company of the Sixth Ke^iment of militia, com- 
manded by Captain W. H. Kodewald, of Independ- 
ence, in all about 500 men. Colonel Buel deter- 
mined to break up Hays' recruiting-camp on the 
Cowherd farm, a very proper military step for him 
to take. Accordingly he sent to Burris at Kansas 
City and to Colonel Huston at Lexington to send 
him some reinforcements. On Sunday, August 
10th, Colonel Buel gathered up all the firearms in 
the hands of the private citizens of Independence. 
His object was to ^^prevent a fire in the rear," he 
said. From this it is evident that he meditated an 
immediate attack on the camp at the Cowherd 
farm. Meantime, Cols. Hughes and Thompson had 
arrived at Hays' camp with about seventy-five 
men. Colonel Hughes was on his way to his old 
home in Clinton County, north of the river. He 
was recruiting a brigade, and Hays, we may sur- 
mise, would have taken his regiment into Hughes' 
brigade. On the night of August 10th Quantrell 
who had been nursing a wounded leg, arrived at 
the camp with twenty-five men. The little army 
at the Cowherd farm now amounted to 250 men. 
They had only two rounds of ammunition each, not 
enough to enable them to resist the contemplated 



fHE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE. I39 

attack by BuePs well-armed and superior force. 
The leaders decided, therefore, to attack and if pos- 
sible capture Buel at Independence before he could 
attack them and before he should be reinforced, 
thus securing their own safety and providing them- 
selves with ammunition. Acting Brigadier-Gen- 
eral John T. Hughes was to have command of the 
venture. 

There was no free interchange of visits between 
Independence and the camp. No one could leave 
Independence without a passport from Colonel 
Buel. All the roads were carefully guarded. Not- 
withstanding, the leaders at the camp were 
thoroughly informed as to Buel's plans and the ex- 
act location of Buel's troops, his headquarters, his 
commissary stores, the size of his force and the 
number of Southern men confined in jail. Their 
information was full and explicit. Buel's forces 
were not disposed with any view to resisting an 
attack. Headquarters were in the McCoy build- 
ing, near the public square, on West Lexington 
Street. On the opposite side of the street and a 
little further down Captain Rodewald was quar- 
tered with a company in the building now occupied 
as a station by the Metropolitan Street Railway 
Company. At the county jail on North Main 
Street, and at the commissary store near it, were 
stationed about twenty-five men under Lieutenant 
Meryhew. The balance of the soldiers were living 
in tents between Union and Pleasant Streets, south 
of Lexington Street, and were nearly half a mile 



140 BATTLES AND BIOQBAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

from headquarters. Buel had about 500 men and 
they were all present at the beginning of the bat- 
tle. The old citizens of Independence, such men 
as Judge James Peacock and L. M. Sea, have told 
me that the Southern sympathizers knew on Sun- 
day evening that an attack would in all proba- 
bility be made at daylight next morning. Buel 
ought to have known the imminence of his danger; 
but he was over-confident. He heard alarming 
rumors, but such rumors were common and easily 
created at any time by a few guerrillas riding 
through the countr^^ He had groAvn accustomed 
to rumors. The recruiting-camp had no terror for 
him; those composing it had no arms, no organiza- 
tion, and were few in numbers. The idea of an 
attack from them was simply preposterous. The 
coming of Confederates from the South was not 
suspected by any Federal commander in Missouri. 
About four o'clock on Monday morning the dis- 
charge of a gun broke the stillness of morning in 
Independence. Those who the evening before had 
received intimation of what might occur were 
instantly awake. Perfect quiet followed; maybe 
the gun was an accident; then nearer a volley broke 
out, accomiDanied by loud yelling; then a fusillade 
and the battle had opened and the whole town was 
aroused. The attacking army came in on Spring r 

Street. Captain Hart, of St. Joseph, was at the | 

head of the column which was approaching the 
public square, on East Maple Avenue. The Federal 
guard at the jail fired and Captain Hart fell, mor- 



THE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE. 141 

tally wounded, the first of a long list of fatalities 
among officers that day. The little army now 
dashed up to the square and rode to the south side, 
where Quantrell formed his men hastily into 
platoons. Colonel Hughes had required of Quan- 
trell but two duties, namely: (1) to pilot the com- 
mand safely to Independence; (2) and to cut off 
Buel from his regiment and hold him away, and 
Hughes would do the balance. Quantrell went 
past BuePs headquarters at full run, Hughes and 
Thompson following. Rodewald's guard fired into 
the passing troops and Kit Chiles fell dead in the 
street, but no halt was made until the Confederates 
ran into the Federal encampment. The first vol- 
ley was deliA^ered with terrible effect upon the 
Federals sleeping in their tents. Captain Breck- 
enridge exclaimed: "Boys, we are surrounded 
and we had better surrender,'^ but Captain Axline 
called out in a loud voice : "Boys, rally behind the 
rock fence." Axline's order was obeyed. The 
tents were abandoned and the battle at once as- 
sumed the form of a regular siege and defense. At 
almost the first Federal volley Colonel Hughes was 
shot in the forehead and died instantly. Colonel 
Hays assumed command and for four or five hours 
the fighting was incessant. Five times Hays led 
his command against that impregnable rock fence 
and five times lie was beaten back. Colonel Gid. 
Thompson was badly wounded in the leg and 
he turned his command over to Captain Bohanon. 
Colonel Hays was wounded in the knee, but con- 



142 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIANS. 

tinued in the fight. Mortality among the officers 
was heavy. The Confederate officers who fell 
were: Colonels Hughes and Boyd; Major Wortle 
and Major Hart, alread}^ mentioned; Captain 
Chambers, of Independence; Captains Brown and 
Clark; and Lieutenants Jones and Johnson. The 
Federals were well protected, but both sides suf- 
fered. There was no dearth of courage on either 
side. The Federals might have escaped to Kan- 
sas City at any time. The rock fence extended for 
half a mile westward. Captain Axline ordered 
Lieutenant Herrington to take forty men and re- 
port to Buel at headquarters. Herrington went 
straight to John McCoy's house in the northwest 
part of town, from which a few shots were fired at 
a little squad of Quantreirs men, who twitted them 
for being poor marksmen. Herrington and his 
forty men then retreated in safety to Kansas City. 
The men behind the rock fence could see BuePs 
fiag floating over headquarters. Finally a mes- 
senger arrived with orders to surrender. 

After QuantrelPs men had done the parts as- 
signed them, they scattered over town in squads 
of three to five. They were among many of their 
friends in Independence. 

When a squad of QuantrelPs men arrived at 
the jail about 9 o'clock, they found that Lieutenant 
Meryhew with fifteen or twenty men had gone up 
North Main Street immediately after Major Hart 
had been killed. These escaped to Kansas City. 
Captain Wm. H. Gregg took possession of the jail, 



THE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE. 143 

and, being the strongest man in his squad, he took 
a sledge-hammer and broke the locks on the cell 
doors. A number of Southern men were released 
and also a few Federal inmates. James Knowles 
was in jail for killing a Southern man. He was 
shot and his cell was not molested. Meantime 
Buel was beleaguered in the bank building by 
sharp-shooters. Captain Eodewald had repaired 
to BuePs headquarters with his company. The win- 
dows of the building were used as port-holes when- 
ever they could be used at all. The Confederates 
kept up a steady fire at the windows, but Buel was 
not suffering and he showed no disposition to sur- 
render. The besiegers held a consultation. Quan- 
trell said to Hays: "Give me thirty men and 
plenty of guns and ammunition and I will take 
Buel out of that bank." In twenty minutes Buel 
surrendered. Quantrell took position in the 
building across the street near where the First 
National Bank now stands, shooting over the roof 
of a low building, beside BueFs building. A fire 
was started by the side of this low building; the 
bullets were sent like hail into Buel's windows. A 
white flag was raised and Buel asked for a parley. 
He surrendered unconditionally and sent a mes- 
senger to his troops under Axline to surrender. 
The battle lasted for more than five hours. 

Notes. 
Buel had made unnecessary boasts as to the 
manner in which he would deal with Quantrell 
should he ever meet the guerrilla chief. Perhaps 



144 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

for this reason Quantrell was sent into the bank 
building to receive BuePs surrender. Quantrell 
treated his prisoner with great magnanimity. 
This fact, couj^led with the fact that Buel had 
made a poor defense of Independence, caused the 
Federal authorities to have Buel put under arrest 
for betraying the post into the hands of Quantrell. 
Buel, however, was acquitted, as he should have 
been. Colonel Gideon Thompson, though severely 
wounded, paroled the prisoners. Colonel Thomp- 
son was the senior officer of the command. 

The number of killed was between thirty and 
forty on each side. Britton says: "After gather- 
ing up the captured property, such as they did not 
burn, the Confederate forces marched out of Inde- 
pendence, in the direction of Blue Springs, about 
five o'clock in the afternoon. The arms, ammuni- 
tion, quartermaster, and commissary stores cap- 
tured made a train of fifteen to twenty wagons. 
The ordnance and quartermaster\s stores were 
much needed b}^ the Confederates to arm and equip 
new recruits. '^ 

After the battle, Wm. Hallar and Captain 
Breckenridge, who had fought each other fre- 
quently during the summer, were in conversation 
when a man rode along on Breckenridge's fine 
horse. Breckenridge called to the man and made 
him dismount, saying he wanted Bill Hallar to 
have that horse. Upon hearing this, the soldier 
yielded the animal willingly. 

After QuantrelPs men had accomplished the 



THE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE. I45 

work at the jail, they moved up to the commissary 
department, first door south of the Commercial 
Hotel. Here they captured Captain Thomas, who 
had waylaid Geo. Todd, John Little, and Ed Koger 
at a crossing on the Little Blue. Koger and Little 
were killed, but Todd escaped unhurt out of the 
very clutches of the Federals. Todd now asked 
Thomas if he was in command of the waylaying 
party, and Thomas acknowledged that the charge 
was true. Todd at once ordered Thomas upstairs, 
where he was loaded with about 200 pounds of 
bacon and flour, which Todd said had been taken 
from the farmers of Jackson County. On reach- 
ing the street, an excited Confederate soldier came 
from the battle around BueFs headquarters with 
the report that the fight was to be abandoned. 
There was nd time to be lost A prominent fol- 
lower of Quantrell promptly shot Thomas down, 
whereupon Todd was greatly offended, as he felt 
entitled to do the killing himself out of revenge 
for the waylaying episode. 

W. L. Bryant, a prominent citizen of Inde- 
pendence, Mo., who was quite a young man at the 
time of the battle, relates an interesting conver- 
sation which he at the time heard between Colonel 
Buel and Cole Younger. The two were discussing 
the events of the day. Younger said: "Colonel 
Buel, did you put yonr head around the corner of 
that building yonder during the fight?" Buel re- 
plied : "Yes. I came there to look over the battle- 
field, but remained only a moment It was too hot 



146 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880UR1ANS. 

for me." Younger continued : "I shot at your head 
with this revolver. Come and see how narrowly 
you escaped.'' The}^ proceeded to the northwest 
corner of the bank building, where Younger 
pointed to a bullet-mark on the brick wall. The 
bullet struck scarcely an inch from BueFs head. 
The mark is still plainly visible. Bullet-holes are 
numerous about the second story at the northeast 
corner of the building; they are visible to this day. 

Britton says: "The paroled Federal prisoners 
stayed in Independence several days after the bat- 
tle, gathering up and taking care of the wounded 
of both sides and burying the dead. During all 
this time no Federal troops from any quarter came 
in, and on the morning of the third day Colonel 
Buel, with his officers and enlisted men, somewhat 
over 150 in number, started on foot for Kansas 
City and Leavenworth to be exchanged.'' Of the 
150 paroled, 90 belonged to Rodewald's comj)any. 
Therefore, only 60 Federals surrendered at the 
rock fence. What became of the balance of Buel's 
army? They escaped to Kansas City. They be- 
lieved Quantrell was in command of the attacking 
force, and they believed he would have them all 
shot if they surrendered. The rock fence extended 
from the battle-field to where Lexington Street 
crosses the Missouri Pacific Kailroad, half a mile 
away. Two hundred and fifty Federals passed 
down this fence, and escaped to Kansas City. 

For other particulars, see biographies of Colo- 
nel Thompson and Major Vivian. 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 147 

Chapter XV. 

THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 

Cowards die many times before their deaths; 
The valiant never taste of death but once. 
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, 
It seems to me most strange that men should fear. 

— Shakespeare. 

The yearly course, that brings this day about, 
Shall never see it but a holiday. 

— Shakespeare. 

This notable engagement may be accounted as 
a type of all the battles of the Civil War. The 
story of the Lone Jack battle is told whenever any 
action of the war is recounted. This battle was 
the culmination of a raid, and thus foreshadowed 
Antietam, Gettysburg, and Westport. It is fur- 
ther typical in the firmness of its ]*eld on the mem- 
ory of men. "The yearly course that brings this 
day about" brings indeed a holiday. Thousands 
of people meet annually on the 16th of August, 
near the noble shaft, standing guard over the 
brave who fell in battle on that heroic day. The 
keeping of a day is the true, the enduring monu- 
ment of any event. Our Declaration of Independ- 
ence has no monument, needs no monument but 
the Fourth of July. We celebrate the birth of our 
Savior with one day in the year and His resurrec- 
tion with one day in the week. The battle of Lone 
Jack was fought on the great national issues of 



148 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURI AN S. 

the day. There were no Kansans at this battle; 
the troops were Missourians on both sides and they 
represented American manhood. They fought to 
settle great national questions and were unmoved 
by local animosities. The noblest side of our hu- 
man nature was revealed at Lone Jack in the earn- 
estness of death. There is no hypocrisy in a bat- 
tle. Our liberties are safe forever, if from genera- 
tion to generation and forever shall be cherished 
and held dear the sacrifices and achievements of 
such men as fought at Lone Jack. 

The movement culminating in tliis battle be- 
gafn in Arkansas at Frog Bayou, near Van Buren, 
whence had departed, early in the spring, such of 
Price's army as made records beyond the Missis- 
sippi. Those who did not cross the Mississippi re- 
mained here under General Eains, who hoped the 
summer would not wane before recruits came 
down from Missouri. But Colonels J. V. Cockrell, 
S. D. Jackman, D. O. Hunter, and others of the 
State Guards, under Eains, found that their com- 
mands could not be brought up to regimental 
standards without more abundant recruits than 
were likely to arrive during Mie fall, and these 
could be secured only by an invasion of Missouri. 

General Eains assigned the command of the 
expedition to Colonel Yard Cockrell, with instruc- 
tions to penetrate the State as far as he could, but 
not to sink the command. 

The matchless Jo. Shelby, then a captain, just 
returned from Corinth, whither he had gone with 



TEE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 14g 

Price after Pea Kidge, was placed at the front with 
his company of seventy gallant, daring men. 
Marching orders were issued August 1, 1862, and 
the "boys'' joyfully turned their faces toward Mis- 
souri. They were tatterdemalians in appearance; 
the}^ were poorly mounted; some had bridles of 
rope or bark; many rode bareback or on sheep- 
skins or blankets. Had they depended on the 
graces, the equipments and soldierly appearance 
of their ranks for the attraction of recruits, the 
expedition had been doomed to failure. But if 
dash and daring and perfect morale counted for 
anything, they might hope for great results. As 
to clothing and horses and accouterments, these 
mi gilt be captured from the Federals in Missouri. 
This part of their programme was not the least of 
their purpose nor the least of their accomplish- 
ment. General Jackman described the outfit as 
"the most laughable and amusing body of cavalry 
imaginable to start out on a recruiting and killing 
expedition, when those who were to be killed were 
the best mounted and best armed men in the 
world, and backed by the strongest Government 
in the world." 

As Cockrell marched up from the South with 
his expedition, his ranks were swelled by the ad- 
dition of companies, squads, and individuals. In 
Butler County the gallant Colonel Coffee, of the 
State Guards, and Colonel Tracy, of the Confeder- 
ate Army, joined him with their commands.. The 
time was opportune for invasions of the State, 



150 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OE MI880URIANS. 

and many fragmentary commands were coming up 
from the South to get recruits. H. R. Gamble, 
provisional governor of the State, was at this mo- 
ment enforcing his famous order requiring all men 
of military age to join the State militia or Home 
Guards. This order sent thousands of men into 
the woods, all of whom were anxious to reach the 
Southern Army. Recruiting-camps were popular 
resorts and CockrelPs standard was everywhere 
welcomed. 

On the night of August 14th the army camped 
in Johnson County. Captain Shelby dashed away 
with his company into Lafayette County, where his 
home was and where were the homes of his men. 
Shelby was acting by orders of the Confederate 
Government. He was not subject to the orders 
of Cockrell, except voluntarily. Shelby's purpose 
w^as to raise a regiment at his old home. Thus it 
happened that Shelby was not at the battle of 
Lone Jack. Colonel Cockrell turned the command 
over to Colonel Hunter and proceeded toward his 
home at Warrensburg. On the morning of the 
15th Hunter moved early and marched all day to 
ward the northwest. At night he had arrived in 
tlie neighborhood of Lone Jack. Colonels Coffee 
and Tracy, who were independent of Colonel Cock- 
rell and of each other, camped to themselves. Tracy 
stopped two miles southeast of Lone Jack and 
went into camp with his men on the Dave Arnold 
farm. Coffee went into camp with his force at the 
Graham farm, half a mile southw^est of Lone Jack. 



TEE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 151 

Hunter proceeded through the village and went 
on three miles and a half further and camped on 
the George Kreeger farm. 

Before Cockrell reached his home, and when 
almost in sight of it, he learned that a large bod^^ 
of Federals, probably Colonel Warren's Iowa 
troops from the post at Clinton, was moving in the 
direction his army had gone. He hurried toward 
his command and arrived at Hunter's camp that 
night. 

Never had an army been in greater peril than 
now threatened the little army scattered around 
Lone Jack. Warren was coming up from the 
southeast with 800 men; Blunt with 1500 was 
coming up from Fort Scott and was near at hand 
on the southwest; Major Foster had already ar- 
rived and was bivouacked on the streets of Lone 
Jack; from the northwest an unknoAvn number of 
Kansans under Burris and Eansom were pouring 
down to avenge the capture of Buel at Independ- 
ence on the 11th inst. Colonel Cockrell had no 
artillery; he expected no reinforcements except 
from HaySj although Quantrell was near by, had 
he but known where to find him; he had but slight 
authority over the men about him — no authority 
over part of them; he had but one wagon contain- 
ing a small amount of ammunition, and he w^as 
heavily encumbered with unarmed recruits. 

The western terminus of the Missouri Pacific 
Kailroad was at Sedalia. From that point Major 
Emory S. Foster marched on the 13th with a con- 



152 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

siderable force across the country to Lexington, 
then in command of Colonel Huston. At mid- 
night of the 14th Foster was informed by wire 
from General Totten at Jefferson City that he had 
been selected to operate against the rebels sup- 
posed to be near Lone Jack under Hays and 
Quantrell. The presence of Cockrell, Hunter, and 
Tracy was unsuspected. On the 15th, a dry, hot 
day, two armies, ignorant of each other's exist- 
ence, made a long, fatiguing march, approaching 
each other at right angles at Lone Jack — Foster's 
army from Lexington and CockrelPs army from 
Johnson County. That night, a beautiful moon- 
lit night, the Federals lay, in the streets of the lit- 
tle village with their two cannon in their midst, 
and rested — a ]3relude to the final rest for many. 
Before the moon was up the rim of Coffee's 
force was touched by the rim of Foster's. Some 
shots were exchanged; Foster discharged his can- 
non at Coffee's rapidly retreating columns. The 
men at Hunter's and at Tracy's camps heard the 
cannon's opening roar and were thus rudely ap- 
prised of the presence of Federals in the neighbor- 
hood. Foster would have fared better the next 
day had he refrained from firing his cannon that 
night. Those premature shots lost him the battle 
and lost him his cannon. The boom of artillery 
was a timely and fortuitous announcement to 
Tracy and Hunter of impending danger. Cockrell 
had arrived by this time and he supposed the can- 
non belonf]fed to Warren's command from Clinton. 



1 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 153 

Tracy broke camp precipitately and making a wide 
detonr arrived during the night at Hunter's camp. 
Coffee disappeared in the darkness and did not re- 
turn until after the battle next day. Cockrell was 
informed by the citizens that Captain Geo. Webb 
and Dr. Winfrey, of Lone Jack, had been organ- 
izing a company during the week at the Ingram 
farm, within a mile of Hunter's camp, and that 
they had recently gone westward to join Hays. 

Cockrell dispatched two swift horsemen to 
find Hays. Upon the arrival of Colonel Tracy, 
Cockrell called a council of war. The officers de- 
bated whether it were wiser to steal away that 
night in safety to the southward, or fight. The 
debate was short; they would fight. Hays and 
Coffee might come, or might not The Federals 
in Lone Jack were evidently more than a mere 
scout; the artillery proclaimed that. Cockrell, 
Jackman, Tracy, Hunter, these determined to 
make the attack at daylight next morning on 
whatever force might lay before them. It was a 
bold resolve. 

After the battle of Independence, Colonel 
Hays succeeded to the command of all the sol- 
diers who came up from the south with Hughes. 
Colonel Gid. Thompson was their rightful com- 
mander after Hughes fell, but Thompson was suf- 
fering from a wound in the leg received at In- 
dependence and was unfit for duty. Captain 
Bohanon acted in Thompson's place. Colonel 

Ha3^s was camped on the Harbaugh farm, twelve 
11 



154 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

miles northwest of Lone Jack. Toward midnight 
CockrelTs messengers arrived witli news that 
the Federals were in Lone Jack. The news was 
enongh. Ha3's roused his sleeping men and or- 
dered them to mount. The compan}^ recruited by 
Webb and Winfrey had not been organized, but 
many of the men lived in the neighborhood of Lone 
Jack, and this company was placed at the front. A 
rapid march was made to Hunter's camp. When 
Hays arrived with his command at the lane lead- 
ing up to the Kreeger farm, he found Cockrell 
and Tracy on their horses waiting in the road. 
A brief consultation was held. The night was 
waning. Cockrell sent orders up to the camp for 
Hunter to rouse his men quietly and to put his 
columns in motion for Lone Jack. As tlie leadeis 
rode forward they conferred together, and by the 
time they reached Noel's farm the plan of battle 
and the disposition of the forces had been agreed 
upon. They would dismount for the battle and 
approach the Federals stealthily and take them 
by surprise. Captain David Shanks, of Hays' com- 
mand, who was familiar Avith the topogra])hy of 
the region, was to remain mounted and with forty 
men was to ride around north and east to the rear 
of the Federal camp, and was instructed to bring 
on the battle and cut off retreat. In the confu- 
sion among the Federals, occasioned by Shanks' 
feint on the east of their camp, the main attack 
would be instantly made by those lying ready on 
the west of their camp. Hunter was to hold the 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. I55 

extreme right, Trac}^ the center, and Hays the 
left. Jackman was at the right of Hays. The 
plan of battle was a good one. The leaders ex- 
pected to repeat w^hat had been done at Independ- 
ence five days since. Before day the Kebel forces 
moved forward en masse to the Anderson Long 
grove, a mile from the Federal camp. The men 
dismounted. The companies were arranged for 
the fight. Six rounds of ammunition were doled 
out gingerly from the ammunition w^agon to those 
with arms, about 1100 men out of possibly 1800 
or more present. 

Stealthily, lynx-like, in the dark before dawn, 
these reapers of death crept into the weed-grown 
field adjoining the battle-ground. They came into 
position and stood for a moment expectant, alert 
in the gray dawn. There was tragedy, mysterious 
and inscrutable, froAvning darkly along that irreg- 
ular, almost haphazard line of squirrel rifles and 
shot-guns, weapons come for the first time from 
the gentle chase of the woods to the stern, bitter 
chase of men. These young soldiers, with young 
wives at home or girlish sweethearts betrothed, 
were fitter to build a shrine than to write a chap- 
ter on the bloody pages of history; they did both 
that day. A few veterans were among them, some 
who had gone out the summer before with Price 
and some had been with Doniphan in Mexico. 

These veterans had been face to face with death 
in all its forms and the mystery of dissolution no 
longer appalled or terrified. Death was accepted 



156 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIAN8. 

as a fatality and was neither courted nor shunned. 
Somewhere down the Coufederate line a gun 
was discharged by accident; in an instant the Fed- 
erals were in motion. It was well for them. In 
a moment the attack was made; in a moment the 
attack was met Here they fought it out in a 
deadly grapple; for five hours the awful, awful 
work went on. There were 1000 or 1200 Federals 
in the street. On the east side of the street was a 
bois d'arc fence, except where a long blacksmith 
shop stood. On the west side of the street were a 
few store buildings, residences, a hotel and some 
other buildings. Back of these buildings were 
garden plats, barns, and plank and rail fences sep- 
arating the town property from the farm land, 
overgrown with high weeds and scattered patches 
of corn. Over this farm land the attacking party 
moved cautiously and drew near the Federal camp 
unobserved. A painful halt was made; daylight 
was broadening and Shanks had not brought on 
the fight The plan of battle was disconcerted. 
The men were nervous and one man accidentally 
discharged his gun. The Federals were aroused 
and could be heard stiiTing in excitement and 
alarm. Their bugle sounded to arjns. The time 
for tlie attack liad come; the time for the surprise 
had passed. A wild forward rush brought the 
Rebels to the fences in rear of the buildings. A 
perfect rain of lead now interchanged across the 
forty or sixty yards of space between buildings 
and rear fences. The battle was on in full blast 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 157 

Colonel Hays, with the unerring instinct of a 
great soldier, formed his 400 in line at a point 
most advantageous for exploits startling and 
heroic. Just in front of these brave 400 was the 
Federal battery of two guns planted to enfilade 
the street. Around the battery the Federals were 
massing in some confusion, leading horses forth 
and keeping up a desultory firing at Hays' men 
as the latter moved nearer. Colonel Hays, always 
cool, observant, of ready perception, noted that 
the Federals were beginning to shield themselves 
behind their horses and were firing from the sad- 
dle-bows. Then he gave a command, piteous in 
its execution, the first command and perhaps the 
last of the day, for this was the privates' battle. 
He called to his men above the roar of the con- 
flict: "Shoot the horses." For many minutes 
more horses fell than men. The poor animals, 
wounded and dying, groaned piteously. The two- 
cannon battery was not idle. These vicious instru- 
ments of death manifested their horrible capa- 
bilities by frightful roar and smoke. "Take the 
battery!" the cry ran along Hays' line. Captain 
Mart Rider, Captain Halloway, and Captains Webb 
and Winfrey dashel across the street with their 
companies and captured the battery in a hand-to- 
hand melee. Here the captors stood and fought 
and were not reinforced. A number of brave men 
fell in this first contest over the battery. In the 
excitement and enthusiasm of this momentary but 
dearly bought success, a young man leaped on one 



158 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

of the guns aud, swiiigiug his hat over his head, 
shouted: "Hurrah for Jeff. Davis!'' Before the 
echo of his voice came back, his soul was speeding 
away to eternity. The routed Federals returned 
in a heavy charge and retook the battery, driving 
Hays' men to right and left, a part falling back 
to the line of their comrades across the street and 
a part taking shelter behind the hedge on the east 
side of the street. Colonel Hays and Captain 
Webb were the officers behind the hedge. In a few 
minutes Captain Long, with a company of Federal 
cavalry, appeared in the standing corn east of the 
hedge and a short but terrific fusillade occurred. 
This was hardly noticeable, however, along the 
street where the battle was raging as if the Pluto- 
nian regions had sent internal fires to harass the 
earth and to destroy the lives of men. On the west 
side of the street a s])ontaneous and well-nigh uni- 
versal impulse is gathering head to capture that 
deadly battery again. It is evident that Hays' 
men will now have support from many parts of the 
field. The men move forward in a more sullen and 
desperate temper than before. The Federals see 
the storm coming and draw closer about the guns. 
For a moment there is a lull, not quite a silence, 
then the wild and frantic charge. Confederates and 
Federals mingling, clubbing with guns, shouting, 
cursing, men falling and dying; the Federals give 
back almost in a moment and the guns are again 
in Confederate hands. But they were not long 
retained by their new masters. The Confederate 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. I59 

forces were beaten back with heavy loss and in 
great confusion. Captain Winfrey had now about 
one hundred men, only five of Avhoni were of his 
old company. These five were Alvis Noel, Jas. AV. 
Noel, Dave Adams, Jacob Adams, and Wm. Lewis. 
One of Hunter's men carried the flag over Win- 
frey's comj^any. Other companies were equally 
disarranged and disorganized. The battle was 
raging from one end of the little town to the other. 
Captain Winfrey, whose' home was here, led his 
company in a charge against the Federals in his 
own house and drove them from it and from his 
drug store adjoining his dwelling. From the up- 
per windows of the hotel Foster's fine riflemen 
poured out a deadly, ceaseless fire on the Confed- 
erates crouching behind fences, outbuildings and 
whatever would afford shelter or concealment. 
Colonel Hays rode up the line on a black horse, the 
horse from which he was shot at Newtonia, and 
ordered the hotel to be set on fire. Two or three 
soldiers went forAvard — crept forward, gathering 
combustibles as they went. In a few minutes the 
building was in flames. It was a holocaust. The 
charred bodies of one or two men and a horse were 
discovered in the embers after the battle. Mrs. 
Bart Cave, hostess of the hotel, fled throngh the 
Confederate lines with her two small children and 
lay down for safety in the standing corn. Before 
the battle was over her babe muttered and cried. 
She rose on her elbow to give it attention and a 
ball penetrated her breast. She died two weeks 



160 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

after. South of the hotel was a large barn, which 
the Confederates captured from the Federals. A 
number of wounded Federals were calling for 
water. They were supplied from the well in the 
barn. Captain Long, Major Foster's favorite, lay 
there, wounded through the body, and but one 
limb unbroken. He said: ^'I have done my best, 
but it is all over with me.-' A Confederate placed 
a blanket beneath his head and gave him water. 
The Confederates fired with such vigor and accu- 
racy from this barn as to draAV upon them the at- 
tention of the battery in the street. Cannon-ball 
after cannon-ball ripped with great clatter througb 
the clapboard siding. How many times the Fed- 
eral battery changed masters that day will never 
be known. The cannon were responsible for the 
bitterest and bloodiest contests. Major Foster, 
who was wounded in the battle and fell into the 
hands of the Confederates, wrote many years after 
the battle: 

"Sergeant Scott handles his guns magnifi- 
cently. With nothing but round shot, he finds 
round shot amply sufficient. Ball after ball, 
with unerring deadly aim, plunges through the 
hotel, through the houses to the north and south 
of it. Wherever a Confederate fusillade bursts 
from a window, a cannon-ball crashes. * * * 

"At half past six the engagement has become 
general. The Confederates^ facing eastward, fight 
with the August morning sun full in their eyes — 
a serious disadvantage. But this is not so serious, 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 161 

as they are armed with shot-guns, good to kill at 
short range, even without accurate aim. This ac- 
counts for the fact so often noted of this engage- 
ment — there was no skirmishing at long range at 
Lone Jack. The bloody work went on full five 
hours across a street only sixty feet in width — 
when it was not a hand-to-hand encounter. There 
was not a cloud in the sky and the heat was ter- 
rible. * * * 

"Such a combat is full of incidents. There was 
here no swaying back and forth before each other 
of uncertain, wavering lines. From seven o'clock 
till ten the opposing forces, like two wrestling ath- 
letes, held each other in a horrible embrace, each 
striving for advantage, neither seizing it. 

"In such a struggle soldiers become their own 
officers and seek adventure on their own account. 
A bunch of weeds becomes the hiding-place of a 
sharp-shooter, who makes the affair a personal 
matter. A convenient shed conceals bloody men 
waiting eagerly for opportunity to kill. A face at 
a window is a signal for a shower of balls. A few 
hours of such fighting bleeds the opposing forces 
terribly. The final result of such a contest is only 
postponed, not in anyway rendered uncertain. 
That force will yield which first bleeds to death or 
loses the power to bleed the other. * * 

"About ten o'clock the deadly fire of the Con- 
federate sharp-shooters posted in a small log 
house, some distance north of our center, greatly 
harassed our right. To make the artillery effect- 



162 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0VRIAN8. 

ive against the house it must be dragged into the 
street and there served. Sergeant Scott will do it. 
Captain Brawner will support him with his rifle- 
men. While preparation is making for this, the 
roar of shot-guns on our front seems to decrease, 
almost to cease. Are they out of ammunition? 
Suddenly a man on horseback rides among the 
men behind the houses west of the street, distrib- 
uting cartridges from a basket, escaping unhurt. 
The Federals gave him a rousing cheer in recogni- 
tion of his nerve. He was a good one.'' 

Major Foster narrates the final struggle over 
the guns, as follows: "We fall upon the Rebels in 
the middle of the street and struggle with them for 
the guns. The carnage here is frightful. In less 
time than is required for the telling of it, the sixty 
Federals are forty, and of these all but a dozen are 
disabled. Captain Long is mortally wounded. 
Lieutenant Rodgers is sorely hurt. Others lie in 
heaps — dead and dying. My brother and I, with 
ten others, remain unhurt and the guns are in our 
hands. We seize them and drag them eastw^ard 
toward the shop." 

Both sides momentarily expected reinforce- 
ments during all the terrible morning. So nearly 
equal were the contending forces that any rein- 
forcement to either side would have brought vic- 
tory on its banners. Major Foster says: "About 
half past nine a force of perhaps 200 men appeared 
near a mile south of us on the crest of a prairie 
ridge. They were Federals. We sent to them 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 163 

across the green expanse a ringing shont of wel- 
come. But they came no nearer and in a few mo- 
ments disappeared behind the hilltop. This was 
a force sent out from Lexington after we left that 
post. I never knew what pressing business pre- 
vented them from joining our picnic." 

Captain David Shanks captured sixty Federals 
on the east side of the battle-field. Ten men were 
detailed to report with these prisoners at head- 
quarters. When they came to the road north of 
Lone Jack they encountered a body of Federals. 
The guards ran and the prisoners thus escaped to 
their friends. These Federals did not go into the 
battle. They were probably from Wellington. 
Finally a great dust was seen rising away to the 
west of the Noel farm, two miles away. The Con- 
federates shouted, "Hurrah for Quantrell!" The 
Federals thought they had been fighting Quantrell 
all the morning; if he was yet to come into the ac- 
tion, they would stay no longer. They retreated 
precipitately and the Confederates were glad to 
see them go. The battle was over. 

Notes. 

At the close of the battle the cannon were in 
the possession of the Federals, who abandoned the 
guns because all their artillery horses had been 
killed ; otherw^ise the battery would not have fallen 
into the hands of the Confederates. Noah Hunt, 
of Lone Jack, says that 110 dead horses were 
counted on the streets after the battle, all Federal 
horses. 



164 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0UBIAN8. 

QuantrelPs men were in camp at or near David 
Dealy's farm, five miles northwest of Lone Jack, 
on the morning of the battle. Qnantrell had orone 
the day before to Independence, leaving Captain 
Wm. H. Gregg in command, with orders not to 
break camp under any circumstances. For sev- 
eral hours Captain Gregg obeyed the order in plain 
hearing of the battle. When his fighting propen- 
sity could no longer be restrained, he gave the 
order for his men to mount, and they went like 
the wind. The dust they raised seems to have 
frightened the Federals from the battle-field. 
Some say Foster was whipped already, and that 
before he was Avounded he Avould have surren- 
dered, but, believing that he was fighting Qnan- 
trell, he feared that his men would all be shot. 
Major Foster says of Colonel Vard Cockrell: "I 
conceive, therefore, that it is to his tenacity and 
ability that we owe the pounding we received that 
day.'^ , 

As Captain Gregg's command dashed down the 
rocky hill west of Lone Jack, the victorious Con- 
federates were met returning for their horses. 
They had not stopped to gather the booty from the 
field, such as arms, etc., left by the retreating 
Federals. 

I could give the names of a dozen men who 
are accredited with the daring deed of firing the 
hotel. For this reason I refrain from giving any. 

Many of Col. Hays' men did not know until 
after the battle was over that any other Confed- 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK, 165 

erate tropps were present. Hunter's and Tracy's 
and Jackman's men fought like tigers. Hunter's 
command probably suffered the heaviest loss in 
killed. His men had seen some service, as had 
also those of Jackman and Tracy. Hays expressed 
dissatisfaction with the management of the battle 
before the battle was over. 

A citizen of Lone Jack, concealed near enough 
to hear the battle, says the roar of guns was inter- 
mittent. Sometimes the battle sound almost died 
into silence, and then would break out anew. 
There was much shouting and not a little profane 
swearing. After the battle Colonel Hays marched 
out to the west and resumed recruiting, and did 
not go south for perhaps ten days. 

Colonel Yard Cockrell departed southward 
with his captured cannon. One of these guns is 
accredited with firing the shot which crippled the 
iron-clad Queen City, on White River. 

General Jackman, in his version of the Lone 
Jack battle, says that often the soldiers were com- 
pelled to retire from the battle to replenish their 
ammunition; many of these never returned, and 
this so disgusted Cockrell that he fired seventeen 
shots at the Federals from his revolver. Jackman 
says he went into the fight with about 500 men; 
Jas. W. Noel, of Lone Jack, who has greatly as- 
sisted me in gathering data for this chapter, be- 
lieves Jackman went in with only thirty-two men. 

The Federal and the Confederate loss in killed 
were about equal, about ninety each. These were 



166 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

buried near the old oak tree from which Lone 
Jack took its name. Soon after the war the Con- 
federates erected a fine monument at Lone Jack, 
commemorative of their dead. 

Eastham Allen, of Lone Jack, says the messen- 
gers who notified Hays that the Federals were in 
Lone Jack the night before the battle were Isaac 
Arnold and David Yankee. Mr. Allen speaks pos- 
itively as to Arnold's being one, and he believes 
Yankee was the other. Switzler, in his history of 
Misouri, has a foot-note which exhibits a very 
common mixture of truth and error found in his- 
tory. Colonel Yard Cockrell was in command at 
Lone Jack. Colonel Coffee's command was not in 
the battle at all. Coffee arrived with a body guard 
just before the battle terminated. Here is Switz- 
ler's foot-note: "Among the remarkable incidents 
of the battle, the following is worthy of record: 
When the Federal force had fallen back and taken 
refuge in a large hotel, and were pouring from its 
windows a death-fire upon the Confederates, caus- 
ing them to lie down and take shelter behind the 
plank fencing that surrounded the hotel, news came 
to the headquarters of General Coffee that his men 
had exhausted their cartridges. Yolunteers were 
called for, to risk their lives in that terrible storm 
of Minie balls, and supply the soldiers behind the 
fencing with the needed ammunition. David R. 
Boneton, a son of Jesse A. Boneton, of Boone 
County, responded; and, filling a carpet-sack with 
deadly missiles, mounted his fine charger (named 



THE BATTLE OF LONE JACK. 167 

'Sterling Price'), and dashed forward on his mis- 
sion. He sat on his horse and distributed the 
cartridges amid a storm of bullets, coming out un- 
scathed.'' Mr. Switzler is a good historian, but he 
can find other claimants to the honor he gives Bon- 
eton. I know a man who claims the honor for 
himself, and I have heard veterans name others. 

Eastham Allen was with Captain Shanks, who 
made his headquarters at the old church northeast 
of town. A lull occurred in the battle, and Cap- 
tain Shanks, who was a brave and devoted man, 
took fourteen of his forty men and went to the bat- 
tle-field to ascertain why hostilities had ceased. 
Presently the battle was resumed. Shanks 
charged the Federals several times and was not 
more than ten feet from them, the hedge fence 
intervening. Captain Shanks, James Compton, 
ITenry Snow, and A. C. Arnold jumped the hedge 
with their horses and were right among the Fed- 
erals. Shanks ordered his men to retreat south- 
ward, and they passed out of range. 

It is generally accepted as a fact that the battle 
was precipitated by the premature discharge of a 
gun in the hands of an excited Confederate. But 
Captain Shanks droAv the fire of a Federal picket 
in passing to the east side. Major Foster says the 
picket gave the first alarm. 



168 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOUBIAtfS. 

Chapter XVI. 

NEWTONIA, CANE HILL, AND PRAIRIE GROVE. 

The army of Missouri soldiers seemed to van- 
ish from existence after the battle of Pea Ridge in 
March, 18G2. From that date till past midsummer 
the soldiers who for a year had taken part in so 
many great and spectacular performances were 
strangers to all operations in their own State. 
But in August, captains, colonels, and generals at- 
tended by small retinues, nuclei of future battal- 
i(ms, brigaeles, and divisions, began to arrive at 
different points in the State. The Federal victor}^ 
at Pea llidge eliminated Curtis and his army from 
the State as effectually as defeat had eliminated 
Price and h^s army. But the dissipation of the 
State Guards and the withdrawal of Curtis to the 
swamps of Arkansas did not relieve the State of 
hostilities. General Schofield, the Federal com- 
mander of the Department of Missouri that year, 
reported over one hundred battles in the State 
from April 1st to September 20th. 

Britton, in "The Civil War on the Border," dis- 
cussing the unrest of this period, says at page 343: 
"The surrender of Independence, the defeat of 
Major Foster's forces at Lone Jack, and the report 
that the combined Eebel forces in Jackson and 
Lafayette Counties were four or five thousand 
strong, created much anxiety in the minds of the 



NEWTONIA, CANE HILL, AND PRAIRIE GROVE. i69 

people in the border counties of Kansas. And 
there were good reasons for such anxiety. It was 
known that a good many rebels in the border 
counties of Missouri were smarting to avenge the 
conduct of Colonel Jennison and the lawless bands 
of Red Legs from Kansas. These Rebel sympa- 
thizers alleged that Jennison's men and the Kan- 
sas lied Legs robbed and plundered the people of 
Missouri of personal property which could not in 
au}^ manner be applied to military purposes, and 
it was sometimes hinted that the Secessionists 
would get even with General Lane for wantonly 
burning Osceola. There was a general feeling 
along the Kansas border that, on account of the 
alleged depredations referred to as not justifiable 
acts of war, the organized Rebels of Missouri 
would, if an opportunity offered, retaliate with in- 
teresf Britton, who was a Federal offtcer, here 
foreshadows QuantrelFs raid on Lawrence the 
following year. 

General James G. Blunt, commanding the De- 
partment of Kansas, including the Indian Terri- 
tory, was at Fort Scott at the beginning of August, 
18()2. lie learned from many sources that num- 
erous detachments of Rebels were passing north- 
ward out of Arkansas. His forces had just re- 
turned from an Indian expedition and for a week 
his men rested and his thin, grass-fed horses were 
permitted to fatten. On August 9th he ordered 
his cavalry to mount and his 2000 infantry to get 
into one hundred Government wagons, drawn by 

12 



170 BATTLE IS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

Government mules. With this outfit he started 
toward Lone Jaclv. All along the route he saw 
fresh trails through the long grass; the grass in 
the trails bent to the north. Arriving in the vi- 
cinity of Lone Jack, he heard that a great battle 
had been fought and that his friends had been 
discomfited. He found a trail with the grass 
bending to the south. He followed it and chased 
Cockrell to the Arkansas line, a bitter, unrelenting 
race. General Hindman had organized an army 
from the swamps and the mountains of Arkansas, 
had reunited the scattered State Guards under 
Kains, and was now moving toward Missouri to 
welcome and assist Cockrell, and Shelby, and 
Thompson, and all the recruits for the Southern 
Army, and to lead them in a grand invasion of the 
State. Blunt returned to Fort Scott and prepared 
for long marching and heavy fighting. General 
Schofield was at Springfield with a Federal army 
of ten thousand men, prepared to resist Hindman's 
aggressive movements. The signs portended a cam- 
paign rife with many battles. 

While Colonel Cockrell was fighting the battle 
of Lone Jack, Captain Shelby was raising a regi- 
ment in Lafayette County. Edwards says: "Wa- 
verly was selected as the point of concentration, 
and from every portion of the surrounding country 
troops came pouring in for enlistment. Ten com- 
panies Avere organized in a day, and the next Cap- 
tain Shelby had a thousand men of the best blood 
of Missouri. The struggle against surprise and 



\ 



NEWTONIA, CANE HILL, AND PRAIRIE GROVE. 171 

complete overthrow was terrible, for Federal gar- 
risons and detachments were on every side; but 
his old veterans nobly sustained him, and made up 
by energy and incessant scouting what they lacked 
in numbers. * * Captain Shelby gathered up 
his new recruits and followed after Cockrell, on a 
parallel and lower line, with speed as great and 
anxiety as heavy/' 

At Coon Creek, in Jasper County, Shelby's 
wear}^ men were attacked by Blunt's Federals, un- 
der Colonel Grano. A five-minute battle ensued, 
in which several Federal soldiers and some Rebel 
horses were killed. About the 12th of September 
Colonel Shelby reached the Southern rendezvous, 
on the skirt of a beautiful prairie, near Newtonia. 
Simultaneously, Colonel Hays arrived with the 
Jackson County regiment and Colonel Coffee with 
the recruits from southwestern Missouri. These 
three regiments were organized into one Missouri 
cavalry brigade, and by orders of General Hind- 
man were placed under the command of Colonel 
Shelby, who was ordered to hold his position, 
scouting well to the front in all directions while 
giving his recruits necessary drill and discipline. 
'^At an election held in the Lafayette County regi- 
ment. Captain Shelby was unanimously chosen 
colonel, B. F. Gordon lieutenant-colonel, and 
George Kirtley major. The Jackson County reg- 
iment in turn elected Upton Hays colonel, Beal 
G. Jeans lieutenant-colonel, and Charles Gilkey 
major. The Southwest Missouri regiment elected 



172 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

John T. Coffee colonel, John 0. Hooper lieutenant- 
colonel, and George W. Nichols major. Thus the 
organization was completed, and Colonel Shelby 
assumed command of that immortal brigade which 
afterward carried its flag triumphantly in a hun- 
dred desperate conflicts, and poured out its blood 
like water from Kansas to tlie Rio Grande." (Ed- 
wards.) While the brigade was drilling at this 
camp, a detachment of Federals occupied New- 
tonia. Colonel Hays was ordered to take his reg- 
iment and drive them out of town and back to 
Mount Vernon. In executing this duty, Colonel 
Hays was killed and Major Charles Gilkey was 
promoted to the position of colonel. 

Colonel Cooper, Eebel commandant of the In- 
dian Territory, marched from the Cherokee Nation 
with four thousand half-breeds, full-bloods, cow- 
boys, Texans, etc., and camped near Shelby, as- 
suming command, being the ranking officer. On 
September 30th, General Sollaman advanced up- 
on the town and gallantly drove everything be- 
fore him. Even Bledsoe's battery could hardly 
stay the Federal tide. Shelby sent Lieutenant 
Gordon to the front and Cooper ordered up his In- 
dians. The battle raged for hours, then there was 
a lull. Toward nightfall the Rebels renewed the 
attack with irresistible fury and the Federals 
were driven away. General Schofleld was exasper- 
ated at this defeat and came on himself in a few 
days, determined to drive the Rebels out of the 
State. On the 4th of October he arrived in front 



NEWTONIA, GANE HILL, AND PRAIRIE OROTE. 173 

of Newtonia. He deployed his forces with con- 
summate skill. The Rebel pickets were all driven 
in at the same moment. Colonel Cooper had al- 
ready determined not to fight. He retreated to- 
ward the Indian Territory and Colonel Shelby re- 
treated toward Pea Ridge, where Rains was en- 
camped on the old battle-field of last March. In 
a few days General Blunt was in full pursuit of 
Cooper with a band of Pin Indians and a troop of 
Kansans. The Indians were divided about equally 
in their allegiance to the United States and to the 
Southern Confederacy. The employment of the 
Indians in the Civil War was not creditable to 
either North or South. 

Abowt this time, General Marmaduke, who quit 
the State service after the Boonville affair, re- 
turned from beyond the Mississippi, and was as- 
signed by General Hindman to command the cav- 
alry now in northern Arkansas. General Mar- 
maduke advanced to Cane Hill, at the northern 
foot of the Boston Mountains, and waited the ap- 
proach of Blunt. He had not long to wait. Blunt, 
who was equal to Shelby in his manipulation of 
and reliance on artillery, opened on the Rebels 
with a cannonade, long remembered for the ter- 
rible accuracy of the work performed. For an 
hour the battle raged; Blunt was unable to dis- 
lodge Shelby until by a flank movement he ren- 
dered Shelby's position untenable. Marmaduke 
ordered a retreat. For fifteen miles, up and down 
the mountain sides, through gorges, and along 



174 



BATTLE IS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 



streams, the battle raged until night. Wherever 
there was a boulder, a clump of pines, or a crag, 
Shelby posted a company, which, when routed, fell 
back past other companies, similarly posted, and 
again took up position far to the rear. Blunt 
hurled his troops savagely against company after 
company thus posted by Shelby. The Sixth Kan- 
sas made the last charge, and lost its leader, 
Colonel Jewell. Shelby's men were crouching in 
ambuscade on the sides of a deep ravine. With 
sabers drawn, hooting and yelling and hurrahing, 
the brave Kansans rushed to repulse and certain 
destruction. Edwards describes, in one of his 
most eloquent passages, a scene at the close of this 
battle: "With the darkness came a flag of truce 
from General Blunt (which was received by the 
heroic Emmet McDonald, who had been fighting 
all day with the stubborn rear), asking for Colonel 
Jewell's body, and asking permission to bury his 
dead and take his wounded from the field of the 
Confederates. It was cheerfully granted, and 
General Marmaduke and Colonel Shelby met him 
on neutral ground, and conversed as freely and 
calmly as if but two hours before they had 
not sought each other's life with fell tenacity. 
^Wliose troops fought me to-day,' asked General 
Blunt. ^Colonel Shelby's brigade,' replied the gen- 
erous Marmaduke. 'How did they behave. Gen- 
eral?' 'Behave?' answered Blunt; 'why, sir, they 
fought like devils. Two hundred and fifty of my 
best men have fallen in this day's fight, and more 



NEWTONIA, CANE HILL, AND PRAIRIE GROVE. I75 

heroic young officers than I can scarcely hope to 
get again. I don't understand your fighting/ he 
continued; Svhen I broke one line, another met 
me, another, another, and still another, until the 
woods seemed filled with soldiers and the very air 
dark with bullets.' Just then the body of Colo- 
nel Jewell was carried tenderly past by his sor- 
rowful soldiers, and a frown passed swiftly over 
the face of General Blunt, but it cleared instantly, 
and he said in a troubled vMce: 'Ah! there goes a 
model soldier — and far away in Kansas he leaves a 
poor old mother who will look long for his return.' 
*How many men did you fight us with to-day?' 
asked Shelby. 'I am ashamed to tell,' replied 
Blunt, evasively, 'but more than you had to meet 
me.' After holding some further conversation, 
the generals separated to their dreary bivouacs." 
Blunt fell back to Cane Hill and began to gath- 
er about him all the Federal forces in that region. 
Hindman was concentrating, massing, counseling, 
and preparing with the greatest alacrity for the 
supreme effort to open the door into Missouri. The 
one great battle of this campaign was now to be 
fought. It was to decide again what the battle 
of Pea Ridge, a few miles away, decided nine 
months before. The issues at stake were the 
same; the contestants were not the same. The 
battles of Independence, Lone Jack, Newtonia, 
Cane Hill, and a hundred hot, unrecorded skir- 
mishes were parts of the campaign now to culmi- 
nate in the battle of Prairie Grove. It was a bat- 



176 BATTLED AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

tie of the North and the South contending for Mis- 
souri, an issue finally settled in favor of the North 
at the battle of Westport. If some future Creasy 
ever writes ^'The Fifteen Decisive Battle® of Our 
Civil War/' he will name Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, 
and Westport as the most important battles of the 
number. And around these his pen will linger in 
fond portraiture of all the noble exercises of 
valiant war, the fi)ifsse of military maneuvering, 
plans and counter-plfws, the wily, wary, skillful 
generalship, and the undaunted courage of men. 
Hindman determined to drive a wedge into the 
center of Blunt's segregated forces. General Her- 
ron was at Fayetteville, east of Cane Hill, coming 
with six thousand to reinforce Blunt's ten thou- 
sand. If quick enough work could be done, these 
two forces might be destroyed in detail. Shelby 
and Marmaduke and Fagan were sent to meet 
Herron. They encountered him at Prairie Grove. 
Meantime Blunt was to be given employment by 
feint or fight. Colonel Monroe was detailed for 
this work and attacked Blunt fiercely at Cane Hill. 
For hours Blunt thought the entire Rebel Army 
was in his front, and he sent couriers to Herron at 
the same time that Herron sent couriers to Blunt, 
each asking for aid. At Prairie Grove, Colonel 
Shanks opened the battle. Herron was an intelli- 
gent, energetic, and fearless fighter, who was as de- 
voted to artillery as either Shelby or Blunt. Herron 
had forty splendid guns; with these he played for 
time. His cannonade was unsurpassed; its work 



NEWTONIA, VAJSE HILL, AND PRAIRIE QROTE. 177 

was insatiate butchery. After two hours of artil- 
lery practice, Herron ordered a charge on the right 
against Shelby and Fagan. The attack was re- 
pulsed, and Shelby's men charged the retreating 
Federals to IleiTon's very guns, both suffering 
terribly. Again Ilerron came to the attack and 
again was repulsed. Herron prayed that Blunt 
or night would come, as Wellington at Waterloo 
prayed that Bltlcher or night would come. 

Suddenly wild and frantic cheering to the west 
on the Federal right drowned the roar of battle. 
Blunt had aiTived. The dreadful conflict was now 
renewed. Both armies knew the fatal hour was 
about to strike; both armies stripped and like sin- 
ewey athletes grappled for the mastery. "For 
four dreadful hours the red waves of battle ebbed 
and flowed around the hill, in and out amid the 
beautiful woods of Prairie Grove, and almost upon 
the sacred altar of the quiet country church, point- 
ing its tall spires heavenward, as if praying God's 
mercy on the infuriated combatants. Blunt, grim 
and stubborn as a bull-dog, threw himself upon 
General Parsons, and dealt him ponderous blows 
for an hour and more, when Parsons closed sud- 
denly upon him and bore him back, bleeding, 
through a large orchard to the timber beyond, 
where he had massed thirty pieces of artillery in 
one solid park. * * Herron on the right had 
less success than Blunt, and was driven back at 
all points with greater loss. Night alone closed 
the battle, leaving the Confederates in possession 



178 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

of the field and believing in victory, though some- 
what scattered and demoralized/' 

That night Hindman retreated back to the 
mountains of Arkansas, and Missouri was again 
saved to the North. That cold, bleak December 
night was spent by burial parties and relief corps 
from both armies caring for the dead and the 
wounded. The piteous groans of dying men and 
wounded horses made the night dismal. The 
scenes of that battle-field will never be forgotten 
by participants in the battle or the charitable wit- 
nesses present next day. 



THE RAIDS OF MARMADUKE AND SHELBY. 179 



Chapter XYII. 

THE RAIDS OF MARMADUKE AND SHELBY. 

The War of the Eebellion was a war of raids. 
Witness the great raids of Lee, Sherman, Morgan, 
Price, Marmaduke, and Shelby. Perhaps Shelby 
was the most restless and indefatigable raider 
that the war produced. He was never known to 
remain contented!}^ in camp more than a few days. 
Not even winter quarters could hold him. There 
was no better cavalry commander in the war on 
either side than General Shelby. While General 
Price was drilling his new army at Cowskin 
Prairie in 1861, Capt Shelby returned to Lafayette 
County to recruit and to harass the enemy. The 
count}^ was well occupied by Home Guards, whom 
Shelby with his company kept in turmoil for two 
weeks. He captured a steamboat, Sunshine, he 
made and used wooden cannon, burned bridges, 
dug rifle-pits, and fought the Home Guards and 
regulars, then returned to Price in time for the 
Wilson Greek battle. After the AYilson Creek 
fight, while Price reorganized his army, Shelby 
made another dash into Lafa^^ette County, where 
he met the Home Guards in many skirmishes and 
battles, preludes to the siege of Lexington. 

Shelby's next raid to Missouri was with Cock- 
relPs expedition after Corinth, marked by the bat- 
tle of Lone Jack. 



180 BATTLE 8 AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

The stately Marmaduke was a great cavalry 
leader. He was a West Pointer and his cam- 
paigns and raids were characterized and modeled 
by all the tenets of strict military science. Mar- 
madnke was su])erb on horseback. After Blunt 
had driven Shelby and Marmaduke back from 
Cane Hill and Prairie Grove far into Arkansas, 
the Confederate Army rested in cantonment at 
Lewisburg. Blunt followed on to the Arkansas 
Elver, which he proposed to cross and attack Lit- 
tle Bock, Confederate headquarters. Blunt's line 
of communication reached down from Holla, Mo., 
railroad terminus, whither supplies came from St. 
Louis. General Hindman, perhaps the ablest 
general ever in charge of the Trans-Mississippi 
Department, ordered Marmaduke to take his divi- 
sion of cavalry and march into Missouri, sever 
Blunt's communication and force him by starvation 
to retreat out of Arkansas. General Marmaduke 
selected for this hazardous service the Missouri 
brigades, commanded by General Shelby and by 
General Porter. On the last day of December, 
1862, this army broke camp at Lewisburg and 
turned to the north, to face not only the Federal 
enemy, but also the blasts of a Missouri winter. 
In a week the eager, swift-riding Missourians were 
nearing Springfield, already famous in the annals 
of the war. The place was defended by General 
Brown, a brave and generous Federal commander. 
Springfield was fortified by formidable works. 
On the morning of January 8, 1863, Marmaduke 



THE RAIDS OF MARMADUKE AND SHELBY. Igl 

dismounted his command, two miles from the city, 
and marched to the attack with Thompson on his 
right, Gordon or his left, and Gilkey (Hays' old 
regiment) in the center. The front of the town 
was guarded by an extensive and strong stockade, 
which surrounded the large brick female college. 
As the Confederates aj^proached the stockade the 
fighting became furious. A charge was now or- 
dered and the stockade was carried by assault. 
From the embrasures of the earthworks the Fed- 
eral cannon swept the street, but the Confederates 
took possession of the first line of rifle-pits and 
carried back a Federal gun, which was added to 
Collins' battery. The fighting continued through 
the day; at night Marmaduke withdrew, taking 
the road toward Eolla, unmolested by pursuit. 
General Porter was off toward Rolla and the 
divided forces reunited at Sand Springs. Marma- 
duke lingered along the Rolla road, capturing a 
few supply trains and preventing others from set- 
ting out, until Blunt returned with his whole army 
to Springfield. Marmaduke now retreated into 
Arkansas, having full}^ accomplished his purpose. 
The return was marked by hardships and battles. 
At Ilartsville a ferocious battle was fought. It 
was here that Colonel Emmet McDonald fell. This 
eccentric and chivalrous young man had vowed 
not to cut his hair until the Confederacy was es- 
tablished. Here also fell Colonel Wymer and 
many others. 

At Batesville the remainder of the winter, 



182 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

about two months, was passed, and before turning 
again to invade Missouri, Shelby gave a sham bat- 
tle for the benefit of the ladies. 

In April, General Marmaduke returned from 
Little Rock, w^hither he had gone to meet General 
Price. At this conference the "Cape Girardeau 
Expedition'' was decided upon. Cape Girardeau, 
on the Mississippi Kiver, was a depot of supplies 
for a por-tion of Grant's army, now operating 
against Vicksburg. The capture of Cape Girar- 
deau would have greatly weakened Grant. It was 
understood that General John McNeil commanded 
the place — McNeil, whose name is forever linked 
in history with the Palmyra massacre. Marma- 
duke captured some Federal dispatches containing 
an order for McNeil^ then in Stoddard County, to 
proceed to Pilot Knob, but McNeil disobeyed the 
order and hastened back to Cape Girardeau. Had 
McNeil obeyed his orders, he would have been 
captured. Two days after McNeil reached Cape 
Girardeau, Marmaduke arrived with his entire 
division, known as "Price's First Corps of the 
Trans-Mississippi Department." The Confeder- 
ates prepared for immediate attack; before doing 
so, Marmaduke summoned McNeil to surrender, 
giving him but thirty minutes to consider the mat- 
ter. McNeil refused and the battle opened with a 
tremendous fusillade. The heavy boom of artillery 
and the incessant crash of small-arms reverberated 
over the Father of Waters, on whose bosom scur- 
ried to and fro hundreds of steamboats screeching 



TEE RAIDS OF MAEMADUKE AND SBELBY. 183 

out their dismay. Again McNeil was summoned 
to surrender, but reinforcements were now disem- 
barking, and his reply was defiant. 

The Confederates made a gallant but unsuc- 
cessful assault. Marmaduke was repulsed with 
heavy loss, and he returned toward Arkansas, fol- 
lowed hard, not by McNeil, but by Colonel Vandi- 
ver from Pilot Knob. Vandiver was cautious, 
even to timidity, but he forced the Confederates to 
fight at Jackson, Bloomfield,and St. Francis Eiver. 
Had McNeil joined Vandiver in the pursuit and 
had the pursuit been conducted in a soldierly, en- 
terprising manner, Marmaduke's army might have 
been eliminated from the service at the St Francis 
River. 

The next effort to relieve Vicksburg was the 
attack on Helena, July 4th, the day Vicksburg 
surrendered. Immediately after this. General 
Frederick Steele received orders to proceed from 
Helena against Price at Little Rock. He obeyed 
the order with energy and alacrity, sending com- 
motion and consternation throughout the Rebel 
strongholds in Arkansas. The Confederates were 
justly discouraged. The Arkansas River was held 
by the Federals at all imijortant points. At this 
gloomy hour Shelby came forward with a unique 
plan to revive the spirits of the army. He de- 
sired to lead an expedition to the Missouri River. 
His superiors demurred at first and attempted to 
check his ambition for such a perilous under- 
taking. Shelby had been severely wounded in the 



184 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURI AN S. 

hand at Helena. It was argued that the wound in- 
capacitated him for such a long and arduous jour- 
ney. He replied that he would rather go and lose 
both hands than to remain idle in Arkansas. As 
to the dangers, he courted them. Shelby was mas- 
terful not only in camp and field, but also in coun- 
cil. His knightly bearing won for his Quixotic and 
presumptuous project the reluctant endorsement 
of both Marmaduke and Price. General " Kirby 
Smith was constrained to issue the requisite order. 
On September 23, 1863, Shelby set out with 800 
Missouri "boys,'' all shouting joyously as they 
started. The little army might never come back. 
They were going five hundred miles into the ene- 
my's country. Shelby had with him Shanks and 
Langhorne and Gordon and Elliott and Thorp. He 
had two pieces of artillery and twelve wagons 
heavily loaded with ammunition. Fighting be- 
gan long before Missouri was reached. On the 
way Hunter and Coffee joined the expedition. 
They reported that the summer had been a sad one 
for Missouri, the darkest season of her mournful 
history. The State was infested with guerrillas. 
At every hamlet and cross-roads were garrisons^ of 
militia. Tliat summer the black fiag waved over 
Missouri; killing and burning had been indiscrim- 
inate. Quantrell had raided Lawrence in August, 
and Ewing in retaliation had issued and enforced 
Order No. 11. Shelby met fugitives under this or- 
der from Jackson, Cass, and Bates counties, down 
as far as the Arkansas line, women and children 



THE RAIDS OF MARMADUKE AND SHELBY. Jg^ 

and old men, in rickety wagons, drawn by teams 
too shabby for army service. This summer was 
truly awful for Missouri. The Home Guards and 
militia were kept in perpetual turmoil by the guer- 
rillas, who by this time were almost perfect in 
their craft. 

Shelby entered the State at a point from which 
he might threaten Springfield. His route lay 
through Neosho, Greenfield, Humansville, on to 
the Osage River at Warsaw, then to Cole Camp, 
and on to Tipton and Boonville. Battles and skir- 
mishes occurred daily, almost hourly. At Boon- 
ville, Gen. Brown, then stationed at Jefferson City, 
attacked Shelby's army, which retreated toward 
Marshall, where Gen. Ewing was stationed with a 
large force. With Brown in the rear and Ewing in 
front, both commanding forces superior to Shel- 
by's, the bold raiders were face to face with de- 
struction, quick and terrible. Shelby ordered 
Shanks to defend the rear with two hundred men, 
while he, with the main army, fought Ewing in 
front. Two hot engagements were now fought 
simultaneously not half a mile apart. Very 
quickly both Shanks and Shelby were completely 
surrounded. Shelby cut his way through, escap- 
ing with thinned ranks to the west Shanks cut 
his way through, escaping to the east Then be- 
gan two races for safety in Arkansas, Shanks on 
one road with all that were left of his two hundred, 
and Shelby on another road with his decimated 

ranks, each ignorant of the other's fate, Some- 
13 



)gQ BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MlSSOURIANS. 

where south of Springfield, on the wire road, 
Shanks and Shelby camped Avithin five miles of 
each other, and their scouts met. At midnight a 
joyful reunion took place. 

Shelby marched on leisurely toward White 
Kiver, almost without ammunition. General Mc- 
Neil dropped in behind and followed on to the 
Arkansas River. There was no fighting between 
Shelby and McNeil. 

The raid ended at Washington, Arkansis. 



1 



BATTLES OF MISSOURIANS IN ARKANSAS. 187 

Chapter XVIII. 

BATTLES OF MISSOURIANS IN ARKANSAS. 

{Helena.) 

An account of the battles fought by Missouri 
ans in Arkansas wouhl fill a volume. The Mis- 
souri Confederate soldiers spent by far the larger 
part of the time of the war in Arkansas. I shall 
content myself with a fair outline of the move- 
ments, campaigns, and battles of the Missourians 
in our neighboring State. The custom among our 
leading citizens, who become absorbed in either 
civil or military affairs east of the Mississippi, has 
been to disregard the importance of the western 
half of the continent. No able general was sent 
during the war by either of the contending govern- 
ments to take charge of the respective forces in the 
West. The failure to do so w^as a mistake on the 
part of the United States, and a blunder on the 
part of the Southern Confederacy. 
* The operations in Missouri and Arkansas were 
not always independent of the operations beyond 
the Mississii)pi. A clear conception of the war in 
the West can be attained only by noting the move- 
ments of Beauregard, Bragg, Hood, and Lee, and 
of McClellan, Grant, Sherman, and Kosecrans. 

After General Price had begun a great career 
in the country above Yicksburg, Jeff. Davis, in- 
stead of promoting that career by giving the great 



188 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOVRIANS. 

Missourian larger powers, permitted him to return 
to the West, and there submerged him in subordi- 
nate positions, under men not his equal in great- 
ness. Vicksburg fell. The Trans-Mississippi Ar- 
my fought to give relief to its beleaguered friends. 
The belated and ill-starred assault on Helena was 
made for no other purpose than to weaken Grant's 
terrible grasp on Vicksburg. Price and Shelby 
and Marmaduke each advocated the move on Hel- 
ena long before General Holmes could be brought 
to see the importance of such action. It was too 
late to benefit Vicksburg when Holmes — "old 
Granny Holmes,'' the soldiers called him — arrived 
in front of Helena with his Trans-Mississippi Army. 
Vicksburg was about to fall; the last blow in its 
defense was about to be delivered on Helena. The 
battle here was modeled, on a larger plan, after the 
battle at Gape Girardeau. The river, the boats, 
the cannonade, the object of the battle, and the re- 
pulse were all repetitions of what had been wit- 
nessed and experienced at Cape Girardeau. 

In the latter part of May, General E. Kirby 
Smith ordered General Holmes to move toward 
Helena, and Holmes directed his forces to con- 
centrate at Jacksoni^oii: on the White Eiver. 
Thither came by June 22d Price's division of infan- 
try, consisting of one thousand in Parsons' Mis- 
souri brigade, and McEea's brigade of four hun- 
dred Arkansans; Fagan's brigade of Arkansas in- 
fantry, numbering fifteen hundred; and Marma- 
duke's division of Missouri and Arkansas cavalry, 



BATTLES OF MISSOURI AN 8 IN ARKANSAS. 189 

numbering two thousand; making a total of four 
thousand nine hundred. This army made one of 
the most extraordinary marches in the history of 
the war. The route hiy through the low, swampy 
White RiA^er bottom. The rain was incessant. 
The infantry were generally in water up to the 
waist. The men dragged the cannon and the sup- 
ply wagons through bogs and bayous. There was 
no pontoon train and the swollen streams were 
bridged with logs. The march from Jacksonport 
to Helena occupied twelve days, and men and 
animals were exhausted by the excessive labor. 
Napoleon's passage of the Alps was hardly more 
arduous than the march of this army from Jack- 
sonport to Helena. 

On July 3d the army arrived in front of Helena. 
A council of war was held at General Holmes' 
headquarters. Price was not in favor of an attack 
now. The place had doubtless been strengthened 
against their coming by troops from around Vicks- 
burg; an attack could draw from Grant no more 
troops. If Helena were taken, the garrison would 
escape to transports lying then at the wharf, and 
Vicksburg would thus be strengthened by the cap- 
ture of Helena. But Holmes would not listen to 
Price now, as he had never listened to him in the 
past. Holmes replied: "General Price, t|iis is 
my fight and I am going to attack Helena; if I fail, 
I will bear the odium; if I succeed, I want the 
glory." 

Helena, commanded by General Prentis, was 



190 BATTLE IS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

defended in the rear by the Mississippi Eiver and 
its gunboats, by Fort Hindnian at the southern 
suburbs, by Fort Solomon at the northern sub- 
urbs, by the Graveyard fort on the west, and by 
a strong citadel at the center of the city. General 
Holmes, who was a hero and a skillful tactician at 
this battle, assigned General Fagan to attack on 
the south. General Price to attack on the west, 
and General Marmaduke to attack on the north. 
General Walker was to march down the river to 
the assistance of Marmaduke. All attacks were 
to be made at sunrise on July 4th. At the appoint- 
ed hour Fagan and Price made a simultaneous 
charge, driving straight forward, in face of wither- 
ing storms of shot from boats and batteries, from 
embrasures and rifle-pits. Fagan was utterly re- 
pulsed, while Walker and Marmaduke failed even 
to make an attack. General Price carried the fort 
in front of him and his men charged into the center 
of the town, led by Colonel Lewis, who at Lone 
Jack received a wound in the head. General Shel- 
by brought forward the two cannon captured at 
Lone Jack, but used them ineffectually, owing to 
the nature of the ground. These cannon were 
costly ordnance that day; many a brave Missou- 
rian fell in manual effort to save them. The fail- 
ure of Marmaduke and Walker and the repulse of 
Fagan left tlie advance of Price's division unsup- 
ported and in precarious surroundings, the center 
of fire from all tlie forts. The object now was to 
save Price's division, not to capture Helena. The 



BATTLES OF MT880URIAN8 IN ARKANSAS. ig^ 

safe withdrawal of Price Avas doubtful; superior 
generalship of the leaders and the bravery of the 
men alone saved the army. When the smoke hung 
heaviest over Helena, Vieksburg surrendered, and 
,while the surviving Missourians at Vieksburg 
were being paroled, the surviving Missourians who 
fought at Helena were retreating toward Little 
Rock. The Southern Confederacy, triumphant 
until now, was tottering and leaning to its fall. 
General Steele pushed after the flying Confeder- 
ates, but had many a hard battle before he took 
Little Rock. 

General Marmaduke failed to make the attack 
at Helena because General Walker failed to march 
to his support. The two men were not friendly 
thereafter. Estrangement grew with multiplied 
failures in the retreat before Steele. After the re- 
treat from Brownville and after the battle at 
Bayou Metre, General Marmaduke asked that his 
division be removed from General Walker's com- 
mand or that his resignation be accepted. He 
was permitted to withdraw his division. General 
Walker felt that in some way his bravery had been 
impugned by Marmaduke's peremptory withdraw- 
al of his division. General W^alker, therefore, 
challenged General Marmaduke for a duel. Colo- 
nel John C. Moore, now of Kansas City, acted as 
Marmaduke's second and named as weapons Colt's 
navy revolvers, at fifteen paces. At the second 
shot Walker fell, mortally wounded, and was con- 
veyed back to Little Rock in Marmaduke's ambu- 



192 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

lance. Marmaduke was put under arrest, but was 
soon released and resumed command of his divi- 
sion. Steele was pressing hard on Little Rock. 
Somewhere down the river, below Little Rock, 
Colonel Gilkey, commanding Hays' old brigade, 
lost his life in a fight with one of Steele's gunboats. 
Major Shanks, suffering from a wound received at 
Helena, became colonel by promotion. General 
Slielb}' had been unable for service owing to a 
wound received at Helena, and Dr. Webb had or- 
dered him to forego all military effort. But Shel- 
by was under higher orders, the orders of military 
ardor, and he went to the front amid tremendous 
enthusiasm of his soldiers. A great battle was 
deemed inevitable. Steele threw pontoon bridges 
across the river below the capital, and the Federals 
swarmed over. On September Ttli the Confeder- 
ates evacuated Little Rock, and General Steele 
took possession. Price retreated leisurely to Ark- 
adelphia, and Avas not pursued and was not at- 
tacked in his new position. 

In two weeks Shelby was weary of rest and 
sought permission to lead an expedition to Mis- 
souri, an account of which see elsewhere in this 
volume. 

In five or six weeks after the fall of Little Rock, 
General Marmaduke conducted his division down 
the river to Pine Bluff, occupied by Colonel Clay- 
ton, of Kansas, and a force of Kansas troops. Pine 
Bluff was probabl^^ of no more importance than 



BATTLES OF MIS80URIANS IN ARKANSAS. 193 

any other point on the Arkansas River held by the 
Federals. This point was selected for the reason 
that it might be easily surprised. On Sunday 
morning, while Clayton's troops were at dress 
parade, Marmaduke dashed up and peremptorily 
demanded of Clayton the surrender of the place. 
Clayton, taken completely by surprise, would not 
even receive the flag of truce. He remembered 
General Jackson's breastworks at New Orleans, 
and there Avere more cotton-bales at Clayton's com- 
mand than Jackson ever saw. While Marmaduke 
waited for a reply to his demand, Colonel Clayton 
constructed an impregnable fort of cotton-bales. 
When Marmaduke made his assault thirty minutes 
later, he was received with such warmth that he 
decided to retreat, but not until the battle lasted 
five hours. 

General Holmes, whose spirit was broken at 
Helena, if not his heart, had no more fight in him. 
He was a disconsolate man, and as he turned his 
back on Little Rock he said to Marmaduke: 
"Steele will not pursue us. His Government will 
not seek to disturb us now. W^e are an army of 
prisoners, and self-supporting at that.'' Holmes 
was correct. Grant saw the situation in the same 
light, and therefore scarcely approved the expedi- 
tions, now to be related, of Banks to Shreveport, 
Steele to- Camden, and Porter with his fleet up 
the Red River. Sherman quite approved the Red 
River and Camden expeditions, but this only re- 



194 BATTLE IS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

veals the difference in the perception of Grant and 
Sherman. 

At Camden the "boys" fought a great sham 
battle. Here General Holmes relinquished his 
command over the District of Arkansas, and was 
succeeded by General Price. 



BATTLES OF MISSOURIANS IN ARKANSAS. I95 



Chapter XIX. 

BATTLES OF MISSOURIANS IN ARKANSAS. 

[Steele's and Banks^ Fiasco.) 
Generals Sherman and Banks met at New Or- 
leans and agreed on a plan of campaign up the Ked 
Kiver. Shreveport was to be converted into a 
Federal stronghold and a loyal State government 
was to be established in Texas. French operations 
in Mexico were creating disquietude and uneasi- 
ness at Washington City. The immense possibility 
of a new republic in the Southwest, heretofore a 
dream, moving first in the brain of Burr, might 
be realized now. So thought Shelby when, at the 
close of the war, he marched to join the French 
in Mexico. 

Shreveport was a great cotton emporium; it 
was at the head of navigation for large steamers; 
its fortifications, depots, arsenals, and shops, its 
proximity to Texas and Arkansas, and its com- 
manding position over Louisiana, marked it as a 
point of stategic importance. Sherman believed 
the possession of Shreveport would be highly ad- 
vantageous to his government. General Grant 
was never in favor of the Ked River expedition. 
With the true insight of a great soldier, he in- 
sisted that the winning of victories in Georgia and 
Virginia were vastly more important; he gave a 
reluctant endorsement to the expedition and stip- 
ulated that it should be abandoned if not com- 



196 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

pleted in thirty days. After a tentative move 
from the Gulf at Sabine Pass, in obedience to Lin- 
coln's order, the Ked River route was decided to 
be the more practical one. Porter was to run up 
the Mississippi River with his squadron of iron- 
clads to the mouth of Red River, where 10,000 of 
Sherman's troops would be placed on transports 
and where other arrangements would be perfected 
for the ascent; Steele was to come down from Lit- 
tle Rock and capture Camden on his way down to 
join Porter and Banks at Shreveport. The plan 
was magnificent. There were men enough and 
boats enough; there was time enough and money 
enough to win success. Even Grant did not antici- 
pate failure, but he doubted whether any great ad- 
vantages w^ould accrue from certain victory. But 

"The best laid schemes o' mice and men 
Gang aft a-gley, 
And leave us naught but grief and pain 
For promised joy." 

Porter i)roceeded up Red River with a fleet 
more imposing and powerful than had hitherto 
ever assembled on any river of this or any other 
continent. Banks concentrated an army of 30,000 
troops at Alexandria to co-operate with the fleet. 
Porter reached Coushatta, where he first met Con- 
federate resistance. Banks pushed on without 
opposition to Natchitoches, one hundred miles 
from Shreveport. 

To meet this formidable invasion of Confed- 
erate territory, General E. Kirby Smith, one of 



BATTLES OF MI8S0URIANS IN ARKANSAS. I97 

the purest men the South had, ordered General 
Magruder, commandant of the Texas District, to 
send all the available troops in that State, leaving 
the Gulf coast open to invasion. General Colton 
Green came up in command of the Texans. Gen- 
eral Smith ordered General Price, commandant of 
the Arkansas District, to dispatch in haste his in- 
fantry, consisting of Parsons' and Churchiirs divi- 
sions. These reported to Smith at Shreveport and 
were hurried forAvard to meet Banks. General 
Maxey with his Indians was to reinforce Price for 
the loss of Parsons and Churchill. General Dick 
Taylor, son of President Taylor, was assigned to 
the command of all the forces operating in front of 
Banks and against Porter's fleet. Banks was as- 
sisted by Generals A. J. Smith, Lee, Franklin, 
Mower, and others. On March 8, 18G4, Banks' ad- 
vancing army met the Confederates at Mansfield, 
and was beaten back with terrible slaughter. 
The rout of the Federals was complete and the 
scene baffles all description. General Ransom 
said afterward that "Bull Eun was nothing in 
comparison." Banks fell back to Pleasant Hill, 
where on the 12th he was attacked by General 
Taylor, avIio was following up his advantage gained 
on the 8th inst Another great battle ensued, in 
which Ta3dor lost many of the cannon and wagons 
captured at Mansfield. Banks converted the vic- 
tory of this day into virtual defeat by retreating 
in consternation to Pleasant Hill Landing, thirty- 
five miles aAvav, where Porter had arrived. Banks 



198 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

now saw plainly that the expedition was too large 
an undertaking for him. The fleet had passed up 
with great difficulty over the rapids. The water 
w^as low and was steadily falling. Dams were 
constructed across the river with vast labor in or- 
der to secure water deep enough to float the iron- 
clads down to the Mississippi. General Kirby 
Smith now threw away the greatest opportunity 
of his life — the opportunity of annihilating an 
arm}^ of 40,000 men and a great fleet. But stead- 
fastness of purpose was not one of Smith's vir- 
tues. His attention was divided between Banks 
and Steele. His divided attention manifests it- 
self in his post-bellum writing. The Confeder- 
ates harassed the demoralized Federals and chased 
the fleet for some days before they were re- 
called to turn against Steele. Speaking of the 
retreat inaugurated at Pleasant Hill, Wilson says 
in his "Pictorial History of the Great Civil War": 
'^The Shreveport expedition ought to have been a 
success. As it was, the National Army had lost 
alreadj' eighteen guns, small-arms in large num- 
bers, 5,000 men., 130 wagons, and 1,200 horses and 
mules, and had accomplished nothing. '^ 

The chief actors in this campaign on both sides 
were accused, no doubt falseh , of conspiracy to 
speculate in cotton. General Dick Taylor was re- 
lieved of his command, owing to a spirited corre- 
spondence with General E. Kirby Smith. General 
Banks was overslaughed, and General Canby suc- 
ceeded to his place. Meantime how fared Steele, 



BATTLE T OF MISSOURI AN S IN ARKANSAS. IQQ 

who, on March 23, 1864, marched out of Little 
Rock with 12,000 cavalry and 3,000 infantry? 
Price was to hold this vast army in check with 
only 6,000 or 8,000 men. His infantry, under Par- 
sons and Churchill, were absent fighting Banks. 
The greater part of Price's army, now in winter 
quarters at Camden, consisted of new and untried 
recruits. The lusty young Missourians who com- 
posed Price's army at the beginning of the war, 
three years before, were all in their graves, save 
some 3,000, distributed under Shelby, Marmaduke, 
Parsons, and Churchill. The great majority of 
Price's troops were from Arkansas and Texas. 
General Steele ordered General Thayer to march 
from Fort Smith with his 5,000 troops to Arkadel- 
phia and there join the main army. General Clay- 
ton, who repulsed Marmaduke at Pine Bluff, and 
who afterwards successfully encountered Shelby 
when the latter was foraging in the region about 
Pine Bluff, and who had never been defeated, was 
ordered to form a junction with Steele at Camden. 
Steele's army was large enough and it was handled 
skillfuly enough to go whither it pleased. Steele 
saw no Confederates until he reached Arkadelphia, 
two-thirds of the distance to Camden. Gen. Shelby 
inaugurated at Arkadelphia that remarkable sys- 
tem of harassment which in six weeks sent Steele 
ingloriously back to Little Rock. Shelby, who at 
this moment became a brigadier-general on ac- 
count of his raid to Missouri the previous autumn, 
attacked and captured Steele's rear guard of two 



200 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIAN8. 

companies. Steele's communication with Little 
Hock was effectually severed and from now on the 
Federals were annoyed continually from attacks 
on both flanks and in the rear; their supi)ly trains 
were captured; their foraging parties were de- 
stroyed, and starvation met Steele at Camden. 
Fr(mi Arkadelphia the road to Camden traversed 
the Washita lliver bottom. Along this road skir- 
mishes were frequent, implacable, deadly. The 
Confederates fought with the bitterness of out- 
raged local pride. The Missourians had been ex- 
patriated and fought for revenge; the Arkansans 
were defending their invaded State; the Texans 
anticipated subjugation and fought desperately. 
Steele was a disciplinarian and held his army well 
in hand. At the LittleMissouri River, Marmaduke 
contested the crossing, and the delay gave Shelby 
time to pass from the rear to the front, where he 
took position on the plain of Prairie d'Ann, bor- 
dering on the marshy river bottom. For two or 
three days Steele lay in position waiting to be 
attacked, while Price lay ten miles away, be- 
hind hastily constructed works. Finally General 
Thayer, belated, arrived with his 5,000 troops from 
F(H't Smith. Steele now had 20,000 troops, minus 
his losses since leaving Little Hock. The two days' 
waiting had not been wholly devoid of action; bit- 
ter skirmishes had occurred. On the third day 
Steele advanced his batteries and a terrific artil- 
lery duel took place. Finally Steele moved in 
force, determined, as he said, to break "the infernal 



BATTLES OF MI8S0URIANS IN ARKANSAS. 201 

tenacity of Shelby's bloodhounds.'' Marmaduke 
and Shelby held him in check for a time and the 
fighting was desperate. Price ordered a with- 
drawal from Steele's front, and Steele marched on 
toward Camden. At Poison Springs, Shelby and 
Marmaduke again took position and fought an- 
other hard battle, after which Steele pushed on 
and entered Camden. Here General Steele ex- 
pected to capture Confederate supplies. He found 
instead gaunt famine. His distress of mind was 
not assuaged by intelligence from Banks. He 
learned with dismay that Banks had failed in- 
gloriously. 

General Price skillfuly circumvalated Camden 
and waited for Steele to starve, or come out. The 
tedium was relieved by desultory and repeated 
dashes at Steele's position. On April 20th hard ne- 
cessity compelled the Federal commander to send 
out a foraging force up the river along the road be- 
yond Poison Springs. The foragers had 250 wag- 
ons, escorted by an ample cavalr^^ force, including 
a regiment of negroes. They gathered up a gen- 
eral assortment of everything produced in the 
State of Arkansas and were returning. At Poison 
Springs, Marmaduke intercepted the train, assisted 
by General Maxe}^ and his Indians and General 
W. L. Cabell, known among the privates as "Old 
Tige," on account of his fighting qualities. The 
battle w^as a hard one, but resulted in a complete 
victory for Marmaduke and the capture of the en- 
tire train. 
14 



202 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

^^When the Indians reached the captured train, 
they were enchanted; as far as they were con- 
cerned, the battle was over. They considered that 
the greatest victory of the war had been achieved, 
the power of the Yankee nation hopelessly broken, 
and the independence of the Confederacy placed 
beyond a doubt. Marmaduke, however, restrained 
them with stern orders. But the battle-field of- 
fered a brilliant o])portunity for the display of 
their skill; and many a mountain of useless plun- 
der was seen, beneath which reeled and swayed an 
invisible Indian.'' (Edwards.) 

Steele was in dire distress. A train of 300 
wagons was sent out toward the Saline River and 
carefully guarded by a much larger force than the 
one destroyed at Poison Springs. General Fagan 
discovered this train by chance. Operating under 
General Fagan w^ere the brigades commanded by 
Shelby, Cabell, and Dockery. Shelby was sent to 
make a detour in order to gain the Federal front, 
while Fagan brought on the attack at a place 
immortalized in history as Mark's Mill. Cabell 
brought on the fight and stood his ground with 
tenacity justifying his sohriquet. The Federals 
defended their train with desperation. CabelFs 
punishment was almost unendurable and his men 
were on the point of giving away, which meant a 
rout; Cabell begged his men to fight ten minutes 
longer — he knew Shelby Avould not fail him; in less 
than ten minutes Shelby, with a few of his fleetest 
cavalrymen, dashed up on the opposite side of 



BATTLES OF MIS80VRIAN8 IN ARKANSAS. 203 

the Federals. Terror and demoralization spread 
through their line, and when Shelby's main force 
came into action the scene was sickening, inde- 
scribable; the negroes slain fell in windrows and 
the white soldiers were slaughtered in large num- 
bers; 357 wagons were taken; over 1,300 prisoners; 
twenty ambulances; nine pieces of artillery. This 
crushing defeat bespoke the utter extirpation of 
Steele's army. Late in the afternoon of the day 
following the battle at Mark's Mill, Steele evac- 
uated Camden. Mr. Wilson, special war corre- 
spondent of the New^ York Herald, w^hom I have 
quoted elsewhere, says in his histors : ^'On the 
night of April 26th Steele threw his army across 
the Washita River; and at daylight on the 2Tth he 
began to fall back, by way of Princeton and Jenk- 
ins' Ferry, on the Saline River. The roads were 
in the most wretched condition, and the rain fell 
in torrents. At Jenkins' Ferry he was attacked 
by an overwhelming force, led by Kirby Smith in 
person. Steele got his men quickly into position, 
and the battle at once became general. The Con- 
federates fell on the National lines with tremen- 
dous energy; again and again they came up in full 
force, now on the left, and now on on the right, and 
finally made a desperate effort to crush the left 
and center. More than once the National lines 
yielded to the tremendous pressure and fierce on- 
sets of the enemy ; but nothing could cool the cour- 
age or relax the energies of those brave ^Vestern 
regiments. Every charge of the enemy was sue- 



204 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

cessfully repelled. The battle had commenced at 
early dawn. It was now near noon. The critical 
moment of the fight had arrived. The National 
left, which was held by the Thirty-third Iowa, 
whose ammunition was exhausted, was yielding 
to the pressure of the heavy masses of the enemy. 
Four companies of the Fortieth Iowa hastened to 
its support, formed under a terrible fire, and re- 
stored the line. The tide of battle now turned. 
The Confederates, not prepared for this fresh ad- 
vent of strength and heroism, began to fall back. 
For one whole hour the Nationals pressed on their 
front, the Confederates slowly but steadily yield- 
ing up the ground. At noon the victory was com- 
plete, and the Nationals remained masters of the 
field. In this fierce struggle Steele lost 700 men 
in killed and wounded. The Confederate loss 
must have exceeded 3,000 men, including three 
general officers. Leaving a burial party behind, 
Steele crossed the Saline Eiver and continued the 
retreat. He was not further molested. On the 
2d of May, after a weary march, over a swampy 
country, his half-famished troops, broken and 
dispirited, were safe in Little Rock. The battle at 
Jenkins' Ferry did credit to Steele and to his brave 
soldiers; but the expedition, like that of which it 
was intended to form a part, was ill-omened and 
disastrous.'*' 

To recapitulate Steele's great fiasco: The chief 
battles and skirmishes occurred at Arkadelphia, 
Rocheport, Spoonersville, Okolona, Antoine, Wolf 



BATTLES OF MIS80URIAN8 IN ARKANSAS. 20") 

Creek, Elkins' Ferry, Moscow, Prairie d'Ann, Poi- 
son Springs, Mark's Mills, and Jenkins' Ferry. 
Steele lost over 2,000 prisoners, 500 wagons and 
teams, fourteen pieces of artillery, and an un- 
known loss in killed and wounded. He regained 
Little Kock in a rout His losses largely made up 
the supplies which enabled Price to invade Mis- 
souri the following September. 

The Confederates reported their loss at 1,000 
men killed, and they estimated an equal loss on the 
other side. Estimates of losses are notoriously in- 
correct in all histories so far written. On this ac- 
count, I have refrained, as a rule, from giving such 
estimates. After the battle of Jenkins' Ferry, the 
Confederates rested awhile at different points, 
some at Arkadelphia and some at Camden. 

General Marmaduke was commissioned as a 
major-general, the commission dating from Jenk- 
ins' Ferry. A like commission rewarded General 
Fagan, dated Mark's Mills. From this time until 
the inauguration of Price's great raid, Marmaduke 
and Fagan operated in Chicot County, in the ex- 
treme southeastern part of Arkansas, harassing 
the Federal shipping on the Mississippi River. 
Shelby went to White River and had many battles. 
At Clarendon, on White River below Des Arc, he 
captured and blew up the Federal iron-clad Qmen 
Citif. One of the cannons captured at Lone Jack 
has been credited with firin,£r the shot that crippled 
the Queen. The next day General Carr sent four 
other gunboats from Duvall's Bluff. The larger 



206 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS^URIANS. 

of these, the Tyler, was disabled, but escaped. 
Carr arrived with a large army and the fighting 
continued for three days. 

The summer of 1864 was an active one for the 
Missourians in Arkansas. However, on the 30th 
of August the divisions of Fagan and Marmaduke 
concentrated at Tulip, Dallas County, Arkansas, 
under Price, preparatory to the invasion of Mis- 
souri. By the IGth of September these two divi- 
sions had arrived at Batesville, where the third 
division, under Shelby, was waiting. Here began 
Price's great raid. 



jii 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 207 

Chapter XX, 

PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 

FROM DARDANELLE TO LEXINGTON. 

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better 
than all the waters of Israel? — II. Kings v. 12. 

With great reluctance General Price relin- 
quished his hold upon the Missouri Kiver at the 
beginning of the war. His one unquenchable 
ambition was to return to the river and establish 
his army on its banks. Twice he did return to the 
river in brilliant ^'raids'' that attracted, respect- 
ively, the apprehension of the North and the ad- 
miration of the South. The first ^'raid" followed 
his victory at Wilson Creek; the second followed 
his victory over Steele in Arkansas. 

Richard J. Hinton, a Federal officer, author 
of ^^Rebel Invasion of Missouri and Kansas,'' says 
of Price's last great raid : "In distance from base, 
extent of country traversed, and objects aimed at, 
it was hardly less stupendous in character to those 
whose magnificent success have illumined with 
new lustre the name of General Sherman. The 
similitude ends, however, when success is named. 
* * For months rumors were rife that General 
Price was coming. Rosecrans deemed such a 
thing nearly impossible. Steele ought to have 
known. Curtis at Leavenworth ^deemed it both 
monstrous and impossible that a rebel army could 



208 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

march unchecked in the sli2^htest degree, for over 
200 miles beyond our advanced line, into the very 
heart of our territory ; not only without resistance, 
but almost unknown to the commanding officer of 
the department immediately concerned.' '' 

General Lee's army was bleeding to death 
around Petersburg; Sherman was operating in 
front of Atlanta preparatory to his great march 
through Georgia; a mistake had been made in the 
Army of the Tennessee in the removal of conserva- 
tive Joseph E. Johnston and the promotion of the 
dashing but less able Hood. Missouri Federals 
might be ordered en massv to the decisive battle- 
fields east. General E. Kirby Smith, by no means 
the ablest man in the Southern Army, was in su- 
preme control of the Trans-Mississippi Depart- 
ment. His besetting sin was indecision. At this 
juncture he was perplexed as to the best disposi- 
tion to make of the large army in his department 
— whether to send it to Lee or Hood, or to send 
Price on a raid to Missouri. Price, Marmaduke, 
Shelby, Fagan, and Cabell advocated the raid to 
Missouri. These argued that the raid would not 
only give employment to the Federals in the West, 
and so prevent their departure for the East; if the 
raid were fully successful, detachments of troops 
from Sherman, Thomas, or Grant might be ordered 
West. General Dick Taylor and others warmly ad- 
vocated the policy of concentrating all forces East. 
Taylor had even secured from the Confederate Gov- 
ernment the command of the Trans-Mississippi Ar- 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 209 

my when it should arrive on the other side, and he 
stood anxiously waiting. Taylor and Smith were 
not on good terms; who shall say this fact had no 
influence with General Smith in deciding for the 
Missouri raid? But there were ample and valid 
reasons for retaining the army on this side of the 
great river. The Southern soldier preferred to 
fight each for his own section. Herein was seen 
the lack of a strong central power in the South. 
In the minds of these Western leaders there was a 
vague idea that the fall of the Southern Confeder- 
acy in the East would not involve necessarily the 
fall of the Confederacy in the West or in the South- 
west. If Eichmond fell, perhaps assistance from 
the French in Mexico would come and a very de- 
sirable new republic might rise without the Cis- 
Mississippi States. Again, the army had everything 
necessary to make a great and successful raid, and 
the fruits of a successful raid could not be over- 
estimated. All things considered. General Smith 
concluded to risk something on the Missouri raid. 
His policy, however, was a sort of compromise; he 
sent only a small detachment to Missouri. A man 
more determined and decisive than Smith would 
have sent the entire army. 

Steele's disastrous campaign to Camden and 
the Red River expedition under Banks and Porter, 
in the spring, supplied Price's army with transpor- 
tation, small-arms, artillery, camp equipage, and 
ammunition enough to load 300 wagons. He had 
several Parrott guns: two captured by General 



210 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

Dick Taylor at Pleasant Hill, La.; two captured 
by Marmaduke at Poison Springs, near Camden; 
four captured by Fagan at Mark's Mill ; a number 
of mountain howitzers, and a wicked little one-inch 
gun used very effectively in picking off artillery- 
men at long range^ — about thirty guns in all. 
While Price was thus openly prepared to come to 
Missouri, the State was clandestinely and surrep- 
titioush^ prepared to receive him. Secret organi- 
zations among Southern sympathizers had been 
established all over the State. These lodges prom- 
ised large recruits to Price's army. General W. 
L. Cabell has recently filed a paper with Camp 
Sterling Price, at Dallas, Texas, in which occurs 
this reference to such lodges: 

^^Both General Price and General Kirby Smith 
had received messages and couriers from the lead- 
ers of a secret organization called the 'Order of the 
American Knights of the State of Missouri,' who 
represented that as soon as he came into the State 
with his strong command that he would receive a 
great number of this order who were good and true 
men and who would make Al soldiers, and which 
would enable him to get possession of and to re- 
main in the State of Missouri during the winter. 
I knew nothing of this order myself, but in a con- 
sultation with Generals Smitli and Price, both of 
them seemed perfectly satisfied with the reliability 
of the messages received. I was informed of the 
purported strength of this order, and also informed 
that they would rally to our standard as soon as 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 211 

we got a foothold in the State; that I was to be 
promoted and placed in command of this accession 
to our Rrmj. Such were General Price's written 
instructions from General Smith. General Price 
was under the impression that this 'Order of the 
Knights of Missouri/ as well as numbers of South- 
ern men outside this order, would join the Confed- 
erate Army as soon as tliey knew he was in the 
State with his corps, and that would increase his 
army b}^ at least 20,000 men. But we found that 
our increase would be but a few thousand men of 
all ages, and that the F'ederals had complete con- 
trol of the State of Missouri.'' 

In addition to the lodges in Missouri there were 
the "Golden Circles" of Illinois. These also prom- 
ised great aid to Price, if only he came to Missou- 
ri. Missouri had a large "Pawpaw^" militia, men 
pressed unwillingly into the Federal service by the 
"Gamble order." There was a groundless fear 
among the Federals that the "Pawpaw" militia 
had an understanding with the "Knights" and that 
a general revolt was in process of incubation. No 
intimation had reached Rosecrans that Price had 
any information of the volcanic conditions in Mis- 
souri. He had not heard even a whisper of Price's 
coming. He raised a number of provisional regi- 
ments, to serve for one year, not to meet Price, but 
to resist the "Pawpaw" militia insurection and the 
threatened uprising of the "Knights." He deemed 
the danger of so grave a nature that he ordered the 
arrest of the Belgian consul atSt. Louis, who was 



212 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

at the head of the order of "Knights/' together 
with some forty other members, including the sec- 
retary and the treasurer of the order. 

General Price crossed the Arkansas Elver at 
Dardanelle, and entered Missouri with three divi- 
sions, under Marmaduke, Shelby, and Fagan. Pa- 
gan's troops were mainly Arkansan veterans, com- 
manded by Brigader Generals Cabell, McKae, 
Slemmons, and Colonel Dobbins; among the regi- 
mental commanders were Colonels Munroe, Hill, 
Gordon, Reeves, Baker, Crandall, Crawford, Witts, 
McGee, and Anderson. This division had two 
rifled guns made in Texas. Marmaduke's division 
was commanded by Generals Clarke, Graham, 
and Tyler, and Colonels Freeman, Lowe, Bristow, 
Green, Jeffries, Burbridge, Fauthers, and Kitchen. 
Shelby's division was commanded by Generals 
Jeff. M. Thompson and Jackman ; Colonels Smith, 
Slayback, Hunter, Coleman, Coffee, Crisp, and 
Schnable; Lieutenant-Colonels Irwin and Elliott; 
and Major Shaw. With these forces Price marched 
into the State. Rosecrans thought that Price had 
about 5,000 men and that he would turn west along 
the Osage River and join the Indian commanders, 
Cooper, Maxey, and Gano, and might attempt 
to invade Kansas. Rosecrans made many mis- 
takes. His fame suffered at Chickamauga in his 
contact with Bragg, and it was further dimmed by 
his experience with Price in Missouri. Rosecrans 
first heard of the presence of Price's army in But- 
ler and Stoddard counties. He then revised his 



PRICES GREAT RAID. 213 

former conclusion; he thought St. Louis must be 
the objective point of the expedition and was con- 
sequently greatly alarmed. Reports were conflict- 
ing and sensational. General A. J. Smith, on his 
way down the river to Memphis, was ordered to 
disembark with his command at Jefferson Bar- 
racks, and he reported for duty toKosecrans. Gen- 
eral Ewing, who two years before issued "Order 
No. 11,'' was ordered to Pilot Knob. This place 
was attacked by Fagan and Marmaduke, while 
Shelby proceeded from Fredericktown to Potosi, 
fighting battles and driving before him or captur- 
ing everything as he went. A hard day's fight at 
Pilot Knob was necessary to convince Ewing that 
he must retreat or be captured. The battle con- 
tinued all day with severe losses to the Confeder- 
ates. During the night a force of carpenters made 
ladders with which the Federal walls were to be 
scaled next day. About four o'clock in the morn- 
ing a loud explosion shook the earth and awakened 
every sleeping soldier. The ladder-makers all 
threw down their hammers. The Confederates 
felt a sense of relief. Everybody knew what had 
happened. Ewing had evacuated the fort and had 
blown up the magazine. The three divisions now 
marched toward Jefferson City, which Price pro- 
posed to take. Thos. C. Reynolds, who had been 
elected lieutenant-governor of the State of Mis- 
souri in 1860, was to be inaugurated governor of 
the State, vice Governor Jackson, deceased. He 
was present with the army, on Shelby's staff, for 



214 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIANS. 

the purpose of being inaugurated. The Federals 
hurried forward heavy forces to defend the capital 
of the State. General Sanborn came in from 
Springfield; McNeil arrived from Rolla; General 
Brown came from Warrensburg; General Fisk 
came up from St. Louis, each with his command. 

At the Osage River, not far from Jefferson City, 
where the Confederates crossed. Colonel Shanks 
was dangerously but not mortally wounded, in one 
of the innumerable skirmishes that marked the 
progress of the expedition. 

It was now October 8, 1864. The day before. 
Price's army gathered like a cloud of destruction 
about the capital of the State. Governor Reynolds 
looked at the great dome of the capitol from the 
adjacent hills and longed for the hour of his inaug- 
uration. In after days, Reynolds, w^ho was a 
scholar and a smooth, finished writer, attacked 
General Price in a letter which charged the great 
Missouri leader with incompetency and with mis- 
management of the expedition. Perhaps Rey- 
nolds' bitterness had its inception that morning, 
October 8th. On that morning Price turned his 
back on Jefferson City, his own capital, where a 
decade before he abode as the civil ruler at the 
head of the commonwealth. He turned his army 
square to the left and marched westAvard in a sort 
of triumph across the State; and, as he went, drove 
Federals before him, gathered recruits, tore up 
railroads, burnt bridges, destroyed telegraph lines, 
captured towns and garrisons, increased his train 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 215 

from 300 to 500 wagons, and in doing all this ac- 
complished somewhat the purpose for which he 
left Arkansas, by drawing after him in pursuit all 
the Federal soldiers in the eastern part of the 
State. 

General Fiske reported by wire to General Cur- 
tis at Kansas City that on the fith and 7th se- 
vere fighting had occurred around Jefferson City. 
Then the wires ceased to work, and Curtis heard 
no more until Blunt and Lane met Price at Lex- 
ington on October 20th, and retreated before him. 

General Pleasonton arrived at Jefferson City 
on the day Price marched away westward. Here 
he remained until about the 20th to expedite the 
movement forward of General A. J. Smith's in- 
fantry and artillery from St. Louis. He assigned 
General Sanborn to the command of the forces to 
go in immediate pursuit of Price. The first brig- 
ade of Federals was composed of the First, Fourth, 
and Seventh Missouri State Militia, and a battal- 
lion of the First Iowa Cavalry, commanded by 
Colonel John F. Philips, now United States judge 
in Kansas City. The second brigade was com- 
posed of the Third, Fifth, and Ninth Missouri 
State Militia, and the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, 
commanded by Colonel Beveridge. Colonel J. J. 
Graverly commanded a regiment. McNeil, Brown, 
Catherwood, Winslow, and others, accompanied 
by General Pleasonton, reinforced Sanborn with 
their commands at Waverly on the 20th, at the 
time Smith arrived at Sedalia, These forces ag- 



216 BATTLEi^ AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

gregated an army larger than the Confederate 
forces whom they were closely following. 

After leaving Jefferson City, Price's army came 
on leisurely toward Lexington with Pleasonton's 
immense army rolling in his rear. He was joined 
en route by Quantrell, Todd, Anderson, and all the 
guerrillas in the State. These did service as 
scouts and they participated in all the battles, suf- 
fering many losses. Anderson was killed as he 
marched up the north side of the river, and Todd 
fell near Independence. An army, as it marches, 
throws out many feelers in all directions. Gen- 
eral Clark was ordered to cross the river and to 
recruit from the northern side as he passed up. 
General Jackman also crossed the river, and 
marched his men through the neighborhood of 
their homes. General Jeff. Thompson, who had 
Shanks' regiment, marched to Sedalia, terminus of 
the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and occupied the 
place. At California, Marmaduke faced about and 
administered severe punishment to the Federals 
hanging on his rear; at Tipton, Fagan charged 
back on Pleasonton; while Shelby and Jackman 
made flank movements. 

Pleasonton's impetuosity was here converted 
into timidity. But if Pleasonton learned a lesson 
at California and Tipton, so did Price. The latter 
hastily dispatched couriers to Jeff. Thompson at 
Sedalia, and to Clark beyojad the river, with orders 
to rejoin the main army. With a large, aggressive 
army behind him, and a force of unknown magni- 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 217 

tude ahead of him, Price must keep his own army 
compact and well in hand. General Clark cap- 
tured Glasgow and Shelby forced the surrender of 
Boonville. All the commanders in Price's army 
captured and paroled many prisoners. 

By the time Price reached Dover and Waverly 
all of his large forces scouting off to the right and 
to the left had been brought together. If Price's 
army had been enlarged by the accretion of raw 
recruits, it had also suffered a depletion by the 
withdrawal of hundreds and hundreds of seasoned 
veterans, who dropped out to spend a few days or 
a few hours with their families, whom they might 



15 



2lS ByXTTLEH AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MiSSOURlA^S. 

Chapter XXL 

PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 

FROM LEXINGTON TO WESTPORT. 

Ez fer war, I call it murder, — 
There you hev it, plain an' flat; 
I don't want to go no furder 
Than my Testyment fer that. 

— LoicvU, Bi(/h)ir PaprvR. 

When Price arrived at Lexington he found his 
old camp at the fair grounds occupied by Blunt, 
who I'iij across his pathway ready to dispute his 
further progress towards Kansas. Shelby, lead- 
ing the advance as usual, precipitated the battle 
in a furious charge, and was as furiously met by 
Blunt. These two had met before — in bivouac 
and battle, at Cane Ilillj Ark. Blunt was a stub- 
born fighter. His position was invariably at the 
front. In this battle he personally directed the 
action of his artillery, while ^'Jim'^ Lane, Senator 
from Kansas, stood in the ranks and used a Sharp's 
carbine. Shelby knew in a general way that the 
men confronting him were Kansans. It was 
enough to know. He had marched all the way 
from Arkansas for such an opportunity. The bat- 
tle raged for some time when Blunt retreated and 
Price came up and occupied for a few hours his old 
camp of the days of Mulligan. 

There was intense and reciprocal hatred be- 
tween Price's army and the Federal army gather- 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 219 

iug ominously in Price's front All Federal sol- 
diers encountered in or near the border counties 
were loatliingly denominated "Jayliawkers,'' or 
^'lled-Legs" by Price's men, while among the Fed- 
erals Price and all his followers were reproach- 
fully designated ^^J^ushwhackers'' and ^^guerril- 
las/' Such epithets in those days were used with 
the bitterest animosity. Kansans and Missouri- 
ans had alike suffered since the beginning of the 
war in '61. Crimes had been committed in both 
States and revenge was rife in the hearts of men. 
The veterans of the two armies had seen their com- 
rades fall on many a hard-fought field. The final 
reckoning was now to be made. Those on both 
sides who fought from Lexington to Westport 
thought less perhaps of the great national issues 
they were assisting to determine than of the local 
scores so long uppermost in their minds. The war 
period of our State cannot be understood without 
a full comprehension of the feelings existing be- 
tween the people of Missouri and Kansas. The 
old troubles died with the termination of the war, 
and the people of the two States are ornaments to 
the nation's life and to our human race. 

When Curtis heard of the westward movement 
of Price from Jefferson City, he was thoroughly 
alarmed for the State of Kansas, over which he 
established martial law. He urged Governor Car- 
ney to call out the entire State militia to check the 
"unscrupulous marauders and murderers." Hinton 
says: "Peril waited at every man's door and in- 



220 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

vasion was the skeleton at many a farmer's fire- 
side.'' In three days the entire fighting poulation 
of Kansas seemed to be marching toward the Mis- 
souri line. The men came without a change of 
clothing; each had a blanket or buffalo robe and a 
haversack and each was expected to be self-sup- 
porting, according to the instructions contained in 
the call. Curtis stopped all boats from running 
down the river past Kansas City; only one boat 
came up, and it had been fired on by Mart Rider 
and a hundred scouts. 

Price halted but briefly at Lexington. There 
was a maiftfest eagerness among his officers and 
his men to strike the Kansans in front. Blunt 
hurried away from Lexington and by two o'clock 
that night reached Little Blue, east of Independ- 
ence five miles. He attempted to burn the bridge, 
but Marmaduke arrived in time to extinguish the 
flames and save the structure for immediate Con- 
federate use. After the Rebel army and train had 
safely crossed, the bridge was destroyed and the 
pursuing Federals were compelled to ford the 
stream, and were thus delayed several hours. 
Marmaduke, who was now in the lead, promptly 
attacked Blunt The Federal commander skill- 
fully deployed Jennison's "Red-Legs" and Moon- 
light's Kansas militia to the right and left in the 
shelter of the woods and behind stone fences; he 
was able to hold Marmaduke's extreme advance; 
reinforcements soon arrived from Independence 
and Kansas City. General Curtis himself came 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 221 

down and assumed management of the battle. 
Marmaduke, feeling new distress in front, dis- 
patched a swift horseman to the rear for reinforce- 
ments, and Price sent him Shelby, who was now at 
the extreme rear, guarding the train. Fagan was 
marching in the center and his forces might have 
been more quickly brought to Marmaduke's aid. 
But Fagan's men had no personal feeling against 
these Kansans, as had Shelby's. Fagan's men, 
therefore, stood aside while Shelby thundered by, 
every man in his command impatient for the fray. 
Meantime the Federals were receiving constant 
additions of fresh troops. Shelby massed his 
troops on Marmaduke's left. The battle had raged 
from early morning until nearly twelve without 
intermission and with multiplied arms. As the 
fight grew fiercer the Federals were driven back. 
Nearly every inch of ground between Little Blue 
and Independence was hotly contested. The losses 
were heavy on both sides. Finally, after eight 
hours of constant battle and slow retreat, the Fed- 
erals broke into a run, and, dashing away from In- 
dependence, sought rest and shelter behind the 
works on the west bank of the Big Blue. A halt 
was made in Independence long enough for Curtis 
to read to his troops a dispatch of Sheridan's vic- 
tory at Fisher Hill, Va. Hinton says, as the Fed- 
erals were leaving Independence, "citizens ap- 
peared on the streets to scoff at our retiring troops, 
and welcome their congenial traitors.'' The peo- 
ple of Independence knew their "boys" were com- 



222 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

ing home. The ''boys'' were then coming up the 
hill east of town, and in a few moments Captain 
Maurice Langhorne dashed into the streets at the 
head of his company. The Rebel army camped in 
and around Independence that night, October 21, 
1864 

It was the duty of General Cnrtis to select the 
field of the battle in which Price was to be met and 
overthrown. Obviously Little Blue and not We^t- 
port was the field for the great battle, but Curtis 
could not induce the Kansans to leave their own 
State. They came to its boundary, but would not 
penetrate into Missouri, for fear of being away 
from home on election day. They wanted to vote 
for Lincoln. The pending November election was 
in evidence throughout this campaign. Price 
hoped to prevent the election of Fletcher to the 
governorship of Missouri, and Governor Reynolds 
fought like a Turk at Little Blue, w^here he prob- 
ably expected the final contest. At Little Blue, 
Pleasonton was in nearer proximity with his main 
army to Price's main army than he ever was after- 
ward. Price might here have been ground to 
atoms between the upper and nether millstones, 
even without the Kansas militia. The Federals 
had easily three times as many men as Price had, 
and Price was surrounded and cooped in a valley, 
where such a man as Grant would have crushed 
him like an egg-shell. But Curtis was not a great 
general and he failed signally at Little Blue; he 
threw away his first, his only opportunity to bag 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 223 

Price's entire army. The Federal eommander-in- 
cliief was disgusted. In his report General Grant 
said: ''The impunity with which Price was en- 
abled to roam over the State of Missouri for a long 
time shows to how little purpose a superior force 
may be used.'' 

General Curtis decided that the Big Blue 
should be the scene of the great battle, lie forti- 
fied that stream for fifteen miles with rifle-pits and 
breastworks, defended everywhere in front by 
abattis. At all the crossings troops were massed 
in heavy forces and Curtis believed he could de- 
fend his long line against Price's comparatively 
small army. But Price had fought too many big 
generals to be deterred by a few "Jayhaw^kers"and 
''Red-Legs" under a man of the Curtis caliber; he 
had crossed too many large rivers to be much de- 
layed by a stream no larger than the Big Blue. He 
expected Curtis to get out of his way and let him 
pass on to Leavenworth. On Saturday, after he 
had crossed the Big Blue, General Price sent word 
to Leavenworth that he w^ould take six o'clock din- 
ner there Sunday evening. 

Curtis w^as something of an engineer — a skill- 
ful engineer, said his partisans — and his prepara- 
tions along the Big Blue were elaborate. General 
Deitzler was placed on the left at the crossing be- 
tween Independence and Kansas City, near the 
Missouri River. To the ri<»ht of Deitzler, up the 
stream at Simmons' ford, Curtis stationed Colonels 
Moonlight and Pennock. Above this a force was 



224 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

stationed at Hinkle's cattle ford. Still further up 
the stream was Byrom's ford, occupied by Colonel 
Jennison and his ^'Ked-Legs.'' The next ford 
above this was the Eussell or Hickman Mills 
crossing, held by General Blunt. All these fords 
were fortified. Curtis established his headquar- 
ters a mile west of Byrom's ford. 

On Saturday morning Sanborn and McNeil 
charged into Independence, captured two of Ca- 
bell's guns, and a number of prisoners. General 
Marmaduke, who the day before lost two horses in 
battle, barely escaped capture at the hands of Mc- 
Neil. Early that morning Shelby had sent Jack- 
man forward and followed quickly himself toward 
Byrom's ford and Hickman Mills crossing. Cap- 
tain C. W. Rubey, of Sanborn's staff, says: ^'On 
the 22d the Confederates, with a portion of Shel- 
by's division, attacked the two fords named, which 
were the keys to General Curtis' position, forced 
them and sent the defenders in retreat westward. 
Colonel Jennison's force, after a resistance of an 
hour or two, was driven from Byrom's ford and 
pursued to the Kansas line at Westport. General 
Blunt, owing, as he said, to the misconduct of some 
of his men, was speedily sent flying from Hickman 
Mills, after a rather serious loss, and did not stop 
until he reached Olathe, well into Kansas. Then, 
of course, finding his right flank completely 
turned. General Curtis, with the remainder of his 
forces, fell back to Kansas City and Westport" 

Shelby crossed the Big Blue at Byrom's ford 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 225 

and pushed straight on for Westport. At dusk, 
Westport lay just before him, almost within range 
of his guns. Two Federal brigades came out to 
resist his entrance into the town. A short, sharp 
engagement took place. The Federals lost two of 
their guns and 217 of their men were killed. Shel- 
by remained right there until morning. When 
night came, Saturday, October 22d, Curtis' mag- 
nificent line along the Big Blue had been driven 
back five miles, and all of Curtis' fortifications 
along the stream had been passed and left in the 
rear, unoccupied by the advancing and triumphant 
Confederates. Price had brought across the Blue 
his entire army and his splendid train of 500 wag- 
ons and 5,000 head of cattle, accompanied by 
thousands of unarmed recruits. The dreams that 
night were of conquests on the morrow. Price 
knew that some forces were operating against his 
rear, but he did not suspect that Pleasonton, with 
an army of 20,000 troops, double his own army, 
would leap upon him in the morning. He gave 
those in his rear scarcely a thought and those in 
front concerned him but little. He would march 
almost unchecked to Leavenworth. 



226 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 



Chapter XXII, 

PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 

THE BATTLE OF WE ST PORT. 

Our bugle sang truce — for the night cloud had lowered, 
And the sentinel stars set their watch in the sky; 
And thousands had sunk on the ground overpowered, 
The weary to sleep and the wounded to die. 

The Federals at Kansas City used to count five 
seasons for Missouri: sprinc:, summer, autumn, 
Price's raid, and winter. Price came every sum- 
mer, or a part of his army. The people of Kansas 
learned to fear Price after the battle of Wilson 
Creek in 1861, when he marched to Lexin^on and 
besieged and captured Mulligan in the face of 
50,000 Federal troops* Since 1854 Kansans had 
lived in almost hourly fear of armed invasions 
from Missouri, and when they saw the intrepid 
Price marching northward from Wilson Creek 
with banners of victory held high, they believed 
that he was coming to them and that their day 
of doom had dawned. From that fearful hour 
Price became the bugbear, the hefe noire of Kan- 
sas. Now as he approached their border with a 
mighty army, whose course from the South and 
through Missouri had been unchecked, a cry of 
terror almost shook the petals from the sunflow- 
ers. A flood of angry, dismayed Kansans poured 
down to resist the advance of the fearful Price. 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 227 

Never did a people act with greater promptitude 
and determination tlian did the people of Kansas 
at this time. They came to Westport, the point 
threatened, and beat back the foe so long feared. 
This battle was the last between Missouri and 
Kansas. At Westport lie buried the animosities 
that precipitated, through a series of 3- ears, many 
a gory conflict botAveen two erring peoples. Over 
the bloody graves at Westport the Missourians and 
Kansans shook hands and swore undying friend- 
ship. Sunday morning dawned cool and clear. 
The Confederate cliieftains had apparent reason 
to be satisfied with the prospect. The night had 
been peaceful, "and over all in front of Westport 
there, the glad, bright sky sj^read a tearless man- 
tle; the wind blew itself to silence; the night 
waned slowly; and sweet sleep put its sickle in 
among the soldiers and reaped tenderly a soft har- 
vest of harmonious dreams.'' Strange that Ed- 
wards should have said this — Edwards, who puts 
himself to trouble to blame Gen. Price for the disas- 
ters, impending but unseen. Edwards was a prose 
poet, not a war critic. He essays to criticise Price 
for not turning south at Independence; blames him 
bitterly for camping south of Westport on Satur- 
day night, instead of escaping southward with his 
train. It is evident that Price had no expecta- 
tion that retreat would become necessarv^ neither 
had Shelby any such expectation, nor Marma- 
duke, nor Cabell, nor Fagan. Let Edwards testify 



228 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

against himself while describing the situation on 
Saturday night: 

"The chieftains uuder Price had marched far 
and fought little for this night's bivouac upon 
the plains of Missouri. The fleet of horsemen 
had anchored in mid-ocean, and the sails were 
all furled and the pennons were still. In the 
dead calm of the admiral's slumber there was no 
white line of breakers seen to the westward; and 
the hollow mutterings of the storm rolled no angry 
waves from the north. Confidence spread a great 
sleep-hunger over all the soldiers and they ban- 
queted until sunrise. A fitful, gusty, moaning 
night was half of it, too, when the elements por- 
tend calamity and death. Grouped around the 
dead Kansans were Shelby's warriors, indifferent, 
tired, and hungry. They neither knew nor dread- 
ed their danger. ^Shelby takes us in and Shelby 
can take us out,' they argued ; ^so sleep, boys, while 
you may.' Poor fellows, in the utterance of this 
simple confidence they knew not the sorrow it gave 
the impatient leader, lying among his guns and 
peering out through the darkness toward West- 
port. Away over to the left yonder, where a few 
fickle grass fires leaped like ignes fatui into light, 
is couched the wary Marmaduke, anxious, nerv- 
ous, but prepared for great things to-morrow. He, 
too, has seen, and felt, and argued; but noth- 
ing came of it at all. That great fused, welded 
mass of shadows around him is his old brigade; 
farther away a little, the long, irregular, zigzag 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 229 

fire-line marks the borderers under Freeman; and 
nearer than both, with its little blue, silken ban- 
ner, fringed and fabricated by one of the whitest, 
queenliest hands in Arkansas, is his escort, under 
the intrepid Stollard — Shelby's gift toMarmaduke. 
In the rear of these two folded, dormant wings, 
two miles off, stands a large frame house, jubilant 
with lights and moving figures, the headquarters 
of the commander-in-chief. The handsome caval- 
ier, Fagan, is there with his tried Arkansans, and 
the wind toys with the long locks of the soldier and 
ruffles the gold lace on his elegant uniform. Fagan 
had ever a keen eye for nature, and he enjoyed the 
delightful scene^ — a land ocean, with armies for 
fleets and stars for beacons. The brave, proud 
Cabell is uneasy in his massive repose, yet he 
thought only, as the smoke curled up from his 
bivouac pipe, how he would fight to-morrow, and 
how he would hurl his splendid brigade back to 
regain his battery." 

Perhaps in all the range of American literature 
there is not another such a mixture of fact and 
fancy as this quotation discovers. The fancy is 
harmless, save where it stoops to innuendo against 
Price. 

Price's army was most admirably disposed for 
a Sunday march to Leavenworth. The immense 
train of 500 wagons and a band of 5,000 cattle, ac- 
companied by the necessary teamsters and herd- 
ers, had crossed the Big Blue during the day, Sat- 
urday. The train was also accompanied by 2,000 



230 BATTLED AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

or 3,000 unarmed recruits, unfortunate impedi- 
menta in event of lieavy ligliting-. The train 
lialted south of Westport for the night, after an 
easy, ten-miles journe}^ from Independence, inter- 
rupted some hours at the Big Blue. In the rear of 
the train were Marmaduke and Fagan. Shelby 
was between the train and the Federals at West- 
port. These Federals at Westport had been se- 
verely punished and beaten at sundown on Satur- 
day evening, and little ai^prehension was felt from 
that quarter. The march westw ard and into Kan- 
sas would hardly be checked. Neither Price nor 
Shelby could know what a furor their coming had 
created all over Kansas; they did not know that 
practically the entire fighting population of Kan- 
sas had concentrated to dispute their crossing the 
State line. Neither could Price nor Marmaduke 
know that Pleasonton was massing such an over- 
whelming force in their rear. 

Early on Sunday morning, October 23, 1864, 
General Pleasonton, who took personal charge of 
the pursuing Federals at Waverly, ordered Colonel 
John F. Philips forward from Independence to 
clear the fords of the Big Blue, guarded by Marma- 
duke and a part of Fagan's divisions. For hours 
the crossing was contested with unabated and de- 
termined fury. The Federals came up in force 
and Marmaduke fell slowly back. In an hour the 
entire Federal army, except A. J. Smith's in- 
fantry, debouched upon the high and spacious 
plain extending between the Blue and Westport. 



PRICE'S GREAT RATD. ' 23 1 

The great battle of Westport was fought on this 
enchanting pastoral landscape. The scene was 
inspiring; 35,000 troops could be seen with a single 
sweep of the glass, moving in the picturesqueness 
of battle and the regularity of parade. Marmaduke 
stood doggedly across the ^'oad, and Pleasonton 
hurled forward brigade after brigade. Soon Mar- 
maduke was losing ground, inch b}' inch; he could 
neither withstand the onsets of Pleasonton nor 
could he retreat; one horn of the dilemma meant 
destruction, the other meant a rout. In this ex- 
tremity he appealed to Shelby. But Shelby was 
struggling near Westport in very much the same 
predicament. Again and again Marmaduke sent 
messengers impatiently to Price and to Shelby witli 
orders to say that he must give way if not rein- 
forced. Marmaduke held back the Federals until 
their impact became irresistible. Time had been 
gained and Price was moving southward. The 
Federal forces released by the withdrawal of Mar 
maduke now came into action against Shelby. 
Price had sent an order for Shelby also to retreat^ 
but Shelby could not retreat; he was grappling in 
a death struggle with Curtis and could not break 
away without destruction, immediate and terrible. 
But let General Shelby tell his own story: 

^'The 23d of October dawned upon us clear, 
cold, and full of promise. My division moved 
squarely against the enemy at eight o^clock, in 
the direction of Westport, and very soon became 
fiercely engaged, as usual. The enemy had re- 



232 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIANS. 

gained all the strong positions taken from them 
the day before b}^ General Thompson, and it be- 
came imperatively necessary to force that flank of 
the enemy back. Inch by inch and foot by foot 
they gave way before my steady onset. Regiment 
met regiment and opposing batteries draped the 
scene in clouds of dense and sable smoke. 

"While the engagement w^as at its height, Col- 
lins burst one of liis Parrotts, but fought on with 
his three guns as if nothing had happened. Again 
were the Federals driven within sight of West- 
port, and here I halted to re-form my lines, natu- 
rally brolvcn and irregular by the country passed 
over, intending to make a direct attack upon the 
town. 

"About twelve o'clock I sent Jackman's brig- 
ade back to the road taken by the train, for it was 
reported that General Marmaduke had fallen back 
before the enemy — although he had never notified 
me of the fact, or I never saw his couriers, which I 
learned afterward were sent — and thus my whole 
flank and rear w^ere exposed. Jackman had 
scarcely reached the point indicated when he met 
an order from General Fagan to hasten to his help 
at a gallop, for the entire prairie in his front was 
dark with Federals. 

"Jackman dismounted his men in the broad 
and open plain and formed them in one long, thin 
line before the huge wave that threatened to en- 
gulf them. Collins, with one gun, hurried forward 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 233 

to help Jackman and opened furiously upon the 
advancing enemy. 

^'On and on, their great line overlapping Jack- 
man by one-half, they came to within eighty yards. 
Down went that line of gray, and a steady stream 
of bullets struck them fairly in the face, until they 
reeled, scattered, and fled. But the wing that ex- 
tended beyond and around Jackman's left rode on 
to retrieve the disaster of their comrades, and 
came within thirty paces at full speed. Again a 
merciless fire swept their front; again Collins 
poured in double charges of grape and canister, 
and they, too, were routed and driven back, when 
General Fagan thanked Colonel Jackman on the 
Afield of his fame, fresh and gory.' It was a high 
and heroic action, and one which shines out in our 
dark days of retreat like a ^cloud by day and a pil- 
lar of fire by night.' 

'^There on an open prairie, no help or succor 
near, no friendly reserves to cover and protect a 
retreat, Jackman dismounted with almost the for- 
lorn determination of Cortez, who burnt his ships, 
resolved to conquer or die. Fresh lines of Feder- 
als forced Jackman to mount his horses and he fell 
back after the train, fighting hard. 

"Now my entire rear was in possession of the 
enemy, and the news was brought when Thomp- 
son was fighting for dear life at Westport. With- 
drawing him as soon as possible, and with much 
difficulty, for he was hard pressed, I fell back as 

rapidly as I could after the retiring army, the force 
16 



234 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0VRIAN8. 

I had been fighting at Westport coming up just be^ 
hind, when, reaching the road, the prairie in my 
rear was covered almost by a long line of troops, 
which at first I supposed to be our own men. This 
illusion w^as soon dispelled, and the two great 
waves, uniting, came down upon one little brigade 
and Colonel Slayback's regiment The prospect 
was dark and desperate. 

"Not a tree or bush was to be seen for weary 
miles and miles, and no helping army could be seen 
anywhere. I knew the only salvation w^as to 
charge the nearest line, break it if possible, and 
then retreat rapidly, fighting the other. The or- 
der was given. Thompson and Slayback fell upon 
them with great fury, mixed in the melee, and un- 
clasped from the deadly embrace weak and stag- 
gering. In attempting to re-form my lines, which, 
after breaking through and through the Federals, 
were much scattered, an enfilading battery of six 
guns swept the whole line and another in front 
opened with terrific effect At the same time the 
column which followed me from Westport came 
down at the charge, and nothing was left but to 
run for it, w hich was now commenced. 

''The Federals, seeing the confusion, pressed on 
furiously, yelling, shouting, and shooting, and my 
own men, fighting every one on his own hook, 
would turn and fire and then gallop away again. 
Up from the green sward of the waving grass two 
miles off a string of stone fences grew up and 
groped along the plain — a shelter and protection. 



PRICE'S GRiJAT RAID. 235 

The men reached it. Some are over; others are 
coming up, and Slayback and Gordon and Black- 
well and Elliott are rallying the men, who make a 
stand here and turn like lions at bay. The fences 
are lines of fire, and the bullets sputter and rain 
thicker upon the charging enemy. They halt, face 
about, and withdraw out of range. My command 
was saved and we moved off after the army, trav- 
eling all night." 

The people at Leavenworth could hear the in- 
cessant din of battle of the forenoon. They were 
in consternation. Late in the afternoon the bat- 
tle roar grew fainter and then the wires quivered 
with news that Price was retreating south. The 
people could hardly give credence to such happy 
news until Curtis wired that martial law had been 
abolished. 

During the battle General Curtis had his head- 
quarters on the roof of the Harris Hotel in West- 
port. From here a view of nearly the entire bat- 
tle-field could be obtained. J udge W. R. Bernard, 
still a resident of Westport, was called first lieu- 
tenant of the Home Guards. On the day of the 
battle he was appointed aid to General Curtis, and 
was with Curtis all day on the roof of the hotel. 

Judge Bernard says of the battle: "With 
powerful field-glasses I could see little bunches 
of men skirmishing about. I had never seen a 
battle before, and it did not look much like war 
to me. Away off to the south I could see a cloud 
of white smoke which told of a battery at work, 



236 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

and the faint boom of the cannon would come 
to us when the wind was in the right direction. 
Nearer at hand, right across Brush Creek, were 
Shelby and his men. We could see them plainly 
at times and the bullets from their guns came into 
the town. General Curtis was fighting to keep 
Shelby out of the town. His adjutant was Colonel 
Cloud. Every once in a while Colonel Cloud would 
go down to the street and send a regiment against 
Shelby. The men would cross Brush Creek, climb 
the hill, fire a volle}^ and come scampering back. 
Then Colonel Clond would come up and take an- 
other look. We could see little squads of men 
kicking up the dust off to the south and hear vol- 
leys of shots. It was not very exciting, and I 
asked the colonel if that was the way battles were 
fought. I did not see many men killed and it 
looked as if a lot of lead was being wasted. The 
colonel said that battles were fought in that 
manner. 

^'After several regiments had been sent against 
Shelby and had come tumbling back, Colonel Cloud 
came up on the roof and said to Curtis : ^General, 
that 's the third time those regiments have gone 
up there and come back. I propose to send them 
up next time dismounted, and they '11 have to stay 
and fight' The general said, ^All right,' and a reg- 
iment was dismounted, every fifth man taking 
charge of the horses, which were taken back up 
Penn Street out of the way. That regiment didn't 
come back in a hurry. 



PBICE'8 GREAT RAID. 237 

"Shelby was making things pretty lively out on 
the Wornall road. The bulk of the fighting was 
at the Ward place, where the Country Club is. 
The Ward pasture, which is part of the Country 
Club golf links, was the scene of some pretty hot 
fighting. A big old tree stands in this pasture, 
and around it Shelby had a lively fight After the 
battle we picked -up several dead Confederate 
soldiers there. There was fighting all around 
the Ben Simpson house, and a cannon-ball went 
through the front gable of it. The hole was there 
for some time, but it has been covered up. Farther 
along the road, at tlie Wornall house, which w^as 
used by the Confederates as a hospital, there was 
some lively fighting, and I was told that one of the 
prettiest contests of the day took place there be- 
tw^een a squad of Shelby's cavalry and a Federal 
battery. The cavalry charged, the battery using 
their pistols, and drove the gunners away. 

"Along in the middle of the afternoon a shell 
from Shelby's battery fell almost within the town, 
scaring the people and alarming General Curtis. 
It struck on the high land just north of Brush 
Creek, about what would be Forty-third and Penn 
streets if Penn were cut through — Bunker Hill it 
is called. At that General Curtis ordered a re- 
treat. He sent word to Colonel Tom Moonlight, 
w^ho was at the Shawnee Mission and didn't see 
much of the fighting, to come in, but Moonlight 
went the other way and did not pass through 



238 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0VRIAN8. 

Westport. Then, with his staff, General Curtis 
retired to Wyandotte." 

General Pleasonton said, among other things, 
in his report : 

"Brigadier General E. B. Brown was ordered 
to move his brigade forward and attack the enemy 
at daylight and keep pushing him vigorously^ as 
he would be well supported. Not finding any at- 
tack being made, I went to the front I found 
Brown's brigade on the road, so disordered as to be 
in no condition for fighting, and General Brown 
himself had made no provisions for carrying out 
my order. I immediately arrested him and also 
Colonel McFerran, of the First Missouri State Mili- 
tia, whose regiment was straggling all over the 
country, and he was neglecting to prevent it, and 
placed Colonel Philips, of the Seventh Missouri 
State Militia, in command of Brown's brigade. 

"The night previous, at Independence, I had 
ordered General McNeil to proceed with his brig- 
ade from that point to Little Santa Fe, and to 
reach that latter point by daylight. General Mc- 
Neil failed to obey this order, but came up to the 
Big Blue, some five or six miles above the point at 
which the rest of the division was fighting, about 
12 m. on the 23d, and instead of vigorously attack- 
ing the enemy's wagon train, which was directly 
in front of him, with but little escort, he contented 
himself with some skirmishing and cannonading, 
and the train escaped. The Rebel general Marma- 
duke stated after he was captured that had Mc- 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 239 

Neil attacked at this time, they would have lost 
their whole train. I trust that this conduct upon 
the part of General McNeil will meet the marked 
disapprobation of the major-general commanding, 
as it has mine. 

^'Finding that General Brown had not attacked 
the enemy on the morning of the 23d of October at 
the Big Blue, I immediately ordered Winslow's 
and Philips' brigades into action, with Sanborn 
supporting, and after a very obstinate battle the 
enemy were driven from their position to the prai- 
rie on the Harrisonville road beyond the Big Blue. 
It was then about one o'clock in the day, and the 
enemy, in very heavy force, were fighting the Kan- 
sas forces at Westport under General Curtis. My 
appearance on the prairie caused them to retreat 
from before Curtis on the Fort Scott road, and in 
passing they formed to attack my position. A 
brigade of their cavalry charged the right of San- 
born's brigade and shook it considerably, but I or- 
dered up six pieces of artillery and by means of a 
double-shotted canister soon caused them to halt 
and finally beat a hasty retreat." 

Major John N. Edwards estimated the loss to 
Shelby alone, who bore the heaviest fighting, at 
over 800 in killed. 

The battle of Westport was an important en- 
gagement. It had an important bearing on the 
great national contest. Price having departed 
from the State, the Federal soldiers were with- 
drawn to the east side of the Mississippi River, 



240 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIAN^S. 
Chapter XXIIl. 

PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 
THE RETREAT. 

For the third time General Price was forced to 
turn his back on the Missouri Eiver: once at Boon- 
ville, when Lyon came up the river with soldiers in 
boats; once at Lexington, after Mulligan had sur- 
rendered; and finalh^ at Westport, where he was 
defeated by Curtis and Pleasonton. He departed 
with great hope the first time; he went with both 
hope and defiance the second time; but the third 
time he rushed away at panic speed, fully con- 
vinced that he would never again visit Missouri as 
a warrior. He had failed. Nor had he fought all 
the Federals brought forward to be thrown against 
him. General A. J. Smith's infantry were at In- 
dependence w^hen the thunder of artillery came 
from Westport. Smith marched to Harrisonville 
and was in no battle during Price's raid. There 
is nothing so pitiful as the retreat of a vanquished 
army; nor so pitiless as the pursuit of the victors. 
The flight of Price from Westport to Fayetteville, 
Arkansas, was marked by misery; the pursuit by 
Blunt was relentless; the skirmishes and battles 
were implacable. The rout of retreat was strewn 
with wrecks of wagons, scattered camp equipage, 
abandoned tents, clothing, guns, dead horses — and 
dead men, both Federal and Confederate. The line 



\ 

I 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 241 

of retreat was well marked by other evidences of 
warfare. Shelby, according to Edwards, "was 
leaving Kansas and taking terrible adieus. He 
was fighting the devil with fire and smoking him to 
death. Haystacks, houses, barns, produce, crops, 
and farming implements were consumed before 
the march of his squadrons, and what the flames 
spared the bullet finished. On those vast plains 
out west there, the jarring saber-strokes were un- 
heard and the revolvers sounded as the tapping of 
woodpeckers. Shelby was soothing the wounds 
of Missouri by stabbing the breast of Kansas." 
But in spite of Shelby's prowess, and of Fagan's 
watchfulness, and of Cabell's hard fighting, and of 
Price's fatherly solicitude, the retreat was calam- 
itous. At Mine Creek, just beyond the Marais des 
Cygnes, occurred the greatest misfortune of the 
raid. Generals Marmaduke and Cabell were made 
prisoners of war, carried triumphantly back to 
Kansas City, thence to Sedalia, and from there to 
St. Louis, and thence to Boston Harbor. Marma- 
duke and Cabell were at the rear covering the re- 
treat. The Federal advance in two brigades, un- 
der Colonel Benteen and Colonel John F. Philips, 
succeeded in crossing somewhere above Marma- 
duke's position, while the main Federal army 
charged straight ahead with accustomed impetu- 
osity. Marmaduke sent away, one at a time, the 
members of his staff, all seeking to bring reinforce- 
ments, for the peril was imminent and the very 
existence of the Confederate army was at stake, 



242 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOVRIANS. 

The Federals, who had crossed above, came on 
firing and yelling. Marmaduke, who was near- 
sighted, mistook them for the expected reinforce- 
ments coming to his assistance, and he shouted to 
them to stop shooting. But the Federals knew 
what they were doing and bore down on Mar- 
maduke, surrounding him instantly. Marmaduke 
yielded up his stainless sword. Cabell, "old 
Tige,'' was captured at the same time. It was a 
fearful hour for the Confederates. "Marmaduke's 
staff, in the hot, swift moments preceding his cap- 
ture, had been dispatched everywhere over the 
field with orders, entreaties, threats, and com- 
mands. There was deep grief on E wing's bright 
3^oung face, as he rode back from the fatal field. 
Price's handsome features were wet Avith tears; 
and the peerless Moore [Colonel John C. Moore, of 
Kansas Qity], cool and grim outwardly as a Pala- 
din, felt sick at heart and sorrowful." (Edwards.) 
At this battle the Confederates lost heavily of 
arms, equipage, wagons, and cannon, besides the 
irreparable loss of men, captured and killed. 
Shelby had gone on ahead in order to secure a lit- 
tle rest for his worn soldiers, after fighting for 
days in the rear. Price sent for Shelby to come 
back and save tlie army. He faced about and 
again confronted the advancing Federals and for 
a brief period stayed their progress, then resumed 
his march after the retreating army. 

The pursuit was continued, Sanborn leading. 
The Confederates were overtaken again at the 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 243 

Marmiton as tliey-had been at the Little Osage 
and the Marais des Cygnes. Heavy fighting oc- 
curred again, but after a brief but stubborn resist- 
ance the Confederates passed over and proceeded 
south in the darkness. Arkansas was finally 
reached. The march had been unprecedented for 
courage, speed, endurance. In six days 204 miles 
had been traversed. At Newtonia, Blunt had 
charged upon the exhausted Confederates; Shelby, 
as usual, ordered his veterans to the rear, accom- 
panied by Jackman, and a terrific battle was 
fought. Blunt was so severely j)unished, although 
ultinuitely victorious, by aid of reinforcements, 
that he grew circumspect and cautious. He there- 
after refrained from provoking heavy engage- 
ments. Price reached the Arkansas Biver on the 
6th of November. Winter now overtook the army 
and the worst stage of misery was now encoun- 
tered. There were no rations and the desolate 
army staggered on without hope. Small-pox — 
an ally of winter — carried off hundreds. Shelby 
sought and obtained permission of Price to turn 
off on the Canadian Biver with his command, 
where a profitable week was spent in hunting and 
feasting. Finally Price reached Clarksville, a lit- 
tle village in Northern Texas, and the great raid 
was at an end. 

In military circles Price's great raid was pro- 
claimed one of the most brilliant campaigns of the 
war. Price wanted to spend the winter on the 
Missouri Biver, For years he had been the most 



244 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIAN8. 

colossal figure in Missouri, whether in civil or mil- 
itary life. He believed he could raise an arm;^ in 
Missouri by stamping his foot. If his great raid 
fell short of the expectations which animated him 
at its beginning at Camden, he nevertheless lived 
and died believing it more a success than a failure. 
Doubtless the verdict of history will conform to 
his belief. The "Pawpaw'' militia failed him ut- 
terly; the "Knights" and the "Golden Circle" failed 
him; perhaps in his heart of hearts he expected 
these to fail him. But from the body of the peo- 
ple he did gather recruits, and in satisfactory num- 
bers, judging from his report to General Smith. 
Doubtless he found the Federals more strongly en- 
trenched in the State and more numerously posted 
than he expected to find them. He reported on 
December 28, 1864, to General E. Kirby Smith, the 
commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department: 
"I traveled 1434 miles; fought 43 battles and skir- 
mishes; captured and paroled 3,000 officers and 
men, captured 18 pieces of artillery, 3,000 stands 
of small-arms, 16 stands of colors which I brought 
out, at least 3,000 overcoats, large quantities of 
blankets, shoes, and ready-made clothing for sol- 
diers; destroyed miles of railroad; burned bridges 
and depots; destroyed property to the amount of 
110,000,000. * * * * I lost 10 pieces of artil- 
lery, 2 stands of colors, 1,000 small-arms, while 
I do not think I lost 1,000 prisoners. * * * I 
brought with me at least 5,000 recruits." 

Notwithstanding all this, he was liberally crit- 



PRICE'S GREAT RAID. 245 

icised for not doing more. Governor Kejnolds 
wrote a scathing letter "to the public/' in which 
General Price was soundly abused and in language 
so elegant that Major John K Edwards found oc- 
casion subsequently to adopt bodily many of its 
sentences and all of its philosophy. Before clos- 
ing his long letter, Governor Keynolds says: 

"Though the expedition has failed to accom- 
plish the grander objects aimed at, yet the good 
results inevitable under even the worst man- 
agement have been obtained. It produced some 
diversion in favor of Forest, and enabled thous- 
ands of our citizens to join our ranks; some 
came out with the army, and others are gradu- 
ally finding their own way to our lines. Thus the 
army of the department is really stronger than 
ever. The old troops will, with proper discipline, 
soon again be the magnificent brigades which in 
September crossed the Missouri line. * * * 

"The moral power of our State in the Confeder- 
acy is vastly increased by the fact that thousands 
from our sister States, for the first time visiting 
our populous central counties, have heard the pul- 
sations of the great heart of Missouri, and cheer- 
fully testified that it is sound and true to our cause, 
even after three years of oppression by the en- 
emy and imagined desertion by their Southern 
brethren." 

The fact is worth noting, though not mentioned 
by either Reynolds or Edwards, that a heavy 
majority of troops in Price's army, at the time of 



246 BAfTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF 3II8S0URIAN8. 

the great raid, were not Missourians. Price's vast 
army of young men slept beneath the sod. The 
graves of his young soldiers of three years before 
billowed the earth throughout the South, on both 
sides of the Mississippi River. Perhaps those who 
came with Price, visiting, as Keyuolds says, our 
central counties for the first time, fought as val- 
iantly as Missourians could have fought; perhaps 
Price comanded these strangers as skillfully as he 
could have commanded Missourians; yet these in- 
vading soldiers, fighting like veterans, were not all 
veterans. Reynolds and Edwards, and some still 
living whom I could name, believed Price should 
have marched straight to St. Louis, occupied the 
place, subjugated the State of Missouri, marched 
into Illinois, and from thence proceeded eastward 
and northward until utterly destroyed by Federal 
forces drawn off from the armies of Thomas in 
Tennessee and Grant in front of Richmond. Mor- 
gan's raid was to be repeated on a grander scale. 
All those who have since regretted that Price did 
not make this really wild raid, admit with great 
unanimity that the army would have been de- 
stroyed. Price knew tliat such a campaign would 
be suicidal. History will not condemn Price for 
saving his army. 



ORDER No. 11. 247 

Chapter XXIT. 

ORDER No. 11. 

If tell'st this heavy story right, 
Upon my soul the hearers will shed tears; 
Yea, even my foes will shed fast-falling tears, 
And say, — Alas! it was a piteous deed. 

— Shakespeare. 

History is a voice sounding up from the past 
with no whisper of the future. History repeats 
itself in nothing save in teaching over and over 
the doctrine of the old Hebrew prophets, that a 
moral force and a divine purpose govern the affairs 
of men. One writer defines histoi'y as an "epic 
conceived in the spirit of God." Another writer 
says: "All history is an imprisoned epic — nay, an 
imprisoned psalm and prophecy.'' But the histo- 
rian's task may well cease when he has presented 
the facts in their proper relation to each other. 
Such is the limit here assigned to the treatment of 
Order No. 11. 

On the 19th of August, 1863, Quantrell and his 
men broke camp on the Blackwater in Johnson 
County, Mo., and marched into Kansas; two days 
later, they made the famous raid on Lawrence, the 
home of Jim Lane. On August 25th the famous 
Order No. 11 was issued. Order No. 11 was issued 
avowedly on account of the Lawrence raid. 

Kansas and Missouri had been at war along 
the border since 1854. Slavery extension and 



248 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

squatter sovereignty originated with these two 
when, as territories, they advanced respectively 
toward Statehood. Bad men, clothing themselves 
with the contentions of patriotic citizens, crossed 
the boundary line from either State to the other 
and committed crimes of every kind from petit 
larceny to foul murder. Professor Spring, of the 
Kansas University, says that while the Missouri- 
ans committed crimes black enough, the "Jay- 
hawkers'' were the sapeiicr devils. When the war 
came up, some of the best men of Missouri, such as 
Generals Frost and Bowen and Colonel Up. Hays, 
were standing guard with armed forces to prevent 
incursions of Kansas marauders. After the great 
Civil War was well on, the guerrillas of Missouri 
undertook to checkmate these marauders and to 
retaliate upon Kansas for the misdeeds in Missouri 
of such men as Pennock, Jennison, and others. 
Jim Lane burned Neosho, Missouri, and Quantrell 
burned Lawrence, Kansas. 

General Schofield, who, with headquarters at 
St. Louis, commanded the x\rmy of the Frontier 
from April 1 to September 20, 1863, held that the 
border counties of Kansas could be immuned 
against the Missouri guerrilas if the border coun- 
ties of Missouri were depopulated. He explained 
that the guerrillas would quietly assemble at a 
point agreed upon, then boldly ride over the coun- 
try, harassing Union men, attacking detachments 
of Federal troops and occasionally making forays 
into Kansas. If chased by superior forces, they 



ORDER No. 11. 249 

dispersed and scattered in the border counties of 
Missouri and were reabsorbed by the peaceable 
portion of the community or were safely harbored 
by non-combatants, from whom they became in- 
distinguishable. General Schofield determined, 
therefore, to remove all the inhabitants, loyal and 
disloj al alike, from certain counties, and to seize 
all the proAdsions and provender which the citi- 
zens in departing might be forced to abandon. 

'^General Order No. 11. 
"Headquarters District of the Border, 

''Kansas City, August 25, 1863. 

"1. All persons living in Jackson, Cass, and 
Bates counties, Missouri, and in that part of Ver- 
non included in this district, except those living 
within one mile of the limits of Independence, 
Hickman's Mills, Pleasant Hill, and Harrisonville, 
and except those in that part of Kaw Township, 
Jackson County, north of Brush Creek and west of 
Big Blue, are hereby ordered to remove from their 
present places of residence within fifteen days 
from the date hereof. 

"Those who within that time establish their loy- 
alty to the satisfaction of the commanding officer 
of the military station near their present place of 
residence will receive from him a certificate stat 
ing the fact of their loyalty, and the names of the 
witnesses by whom it can be shown. All who re- 
ceive such certificates will be permitted to remove 
to any military station in this district, or to any 

17 



250 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOVRtANS. 

part of the State of Kansas, except the counties of 
the eastern border of the State. All others shall 
remove out of the district. Ohicers commandinoj 
companies and detachments serving in the coun- 
ties named will see that this paragraph is promptly 
obeyed. 

"2. All grain and hay in the field or under 
shelter, in the district from which inhabitants are 
required to remove, within reach of military sta- 
tions after the 9th day of September next, will be 
taken to such stations and turned over to the 
proper officers there and report of the amount so 
turned over made to district headquarters, speci- 
fying the names of all loyal owners and amount of 
such product taken from them. All grain and hay 
found in such district after the 9th day of Septem- 
ber next, not convenient to such stations, will be 
destroyed. 

^'3. The provisions of General Order No. 10 
from these headquarters will be at once vigorously 
executed by officers commanding in the parts of 
the district and at the station not subject to the 
operations of paragraph 1 of this order, and espe- 
cially the tow^ns of Independence, Westport, and 
Kansas City. 

"4. Paragraph 3, General Order No. 10 is re- 
voked as to all who have borne arms against the 
Government in the district since the 20th day of 
August, 18G3. 

^'By order of Brigadier General Ewing. 

"ZT. Hannahs, Adjt-Gen'l." 



ORDER No. 11. 251 

/ The news of the order quickly reached the re- 
motest corners of the district aft'ected. In a fcAV 
days the highways of the land were rife with fuj;i- 
tives, courageous Avoinen and little children, de- 
crepit old men and young boys. They drove sniall 
herds of cattle, or a few flocks of sheep, belonging 
to three or four families, which for mutual assist- 
ance usually went together. The household goods 
went in rickety wagons drawn by oxen or super- 
annuated, horses, exempted from army service be- 
cause too feeble to carry a soldier. 

The wisdom of Order No. 11 has been very ably 
attacked by General Geo. C. Bingham. The ne- 
cessity and righteousness of the order has been 
ably presented by General Schofleld. Let these 
two be heard. General Bingham was the artist 
from whose painting our illustration is taken. He 
was a Federal officer, but such was his antipathy 
to the Kansans that he refused to march to the re- 
lief of Mulligan at Lexington, where he might have 
to associate with Kansas troops. General Ewing, 
who was in command at Kansas City, issued Order 
No. 11. Upon him fell the bitter condemnation of 
General Bingham. When General Ewing was the 
Democratic candidate after the war for the gov- 
ernorship of Ohio, General Bingham visited that 
State, exhibited his famous painting, made speech- 
es, and with relentless antagonism contributed to 
Swing's defeat. General Ewing asked General 
Schofleld for a letter in defense of Order No. 11. 
The letter follows: 



252 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

"West Point, N. Y., Jan. 25, '77. 
''General TJiomas E icing ^ Lancaster, 0,: 

"My dear General, — I avail myself of the first 
opportunity that has presented itself to reply in 
detail to your letter of the 30th of December last. 

"It was in May, 1863, that the command of the 
Department of the Missouri devolved upon me, 
and you were soon after assigned to command the 
district which embraced Missouri and Kansas. 
The condition of that border at once became the 
subject of earnest consideration. The guerrilla 
warfare, which had been waged in that district, 
with only temporary intermissions, for two years, 
had finally degenerated, as all such contests are 
liable to do, into revolting barbarism. Civiliza- 
tion and humanity demanded its prompt suppres- 
sion, whatever might be the means necessar^^ to 
that end. 

"A large majority of the people had already 
been driven from their homes, or had voluntarily 
left them. None remained beyond the immediate 
protection of the military posts, except such as 
were, whether voluntarily or not, useful to the 
guerrillas. Those who remained were simply pur- 
veyors for these border warriors, furnishing them 
with provisions, forage, and temporary shelter 
necessary for their operations. 

"There were two, and only two, possible ways 
by which this border war could be stopped. The 
one was to permanently station in that region 
troops enough to protect all the people, drive out 



ORDER No. 11. 253 

all the guerrillas, and prevent their return. The 
other was to remove the source from which the 
guerrillas obtained their supplies. The latter was 
proposed by you, and at once admitted by me as a 
measure absolutely necessary to be adopted, if the 
former was impracticable, but I preferred the for- 
mer, and hence hesitated to adopt the latter. But 
I had the States of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and 
Nebraska, and Colorado and the Indian Territory 
— over four hundred thousand square miles of dis- 
tributed territory — to take care of, and operations 
against the Confederate Army in Arkansas to be 
prosecuted. It was difficult to spare even a small 
force to guard the border of Kansas and Missouri. 
There had already come a demand upon me from 
Washington to send all possible reinforcements 
to General Grant, who was besieging Vicksburg. 
To this, all minor considerations had to yield. The 
preservation of a few farms, with their crops, in 
Western Missouri, or anywhere else, could not be 
considered for a moment in comparison with the 
success of Grant's army in opening the Mississippi 
to the Gulf. Of course, I had sent to General 
Grant all the troops I had in reserve, and had at 
that time none left to reinforce you on the borders 
of Kansas. 

"Soon after, the guerrilla operations culmina- 
ted in the fiendish massacre of the defenseless peo- 
ple of Lawrence. There was no longer any ques- 
tion what must be done, and you promptly issued 
the order, which had before been considered and 



254 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

discussed. A few days thereafter, I Adsited you at 
Kansas City and went to Independence. I spent 
several days in investigating the subject and con- 
versing wuth the people who had left their homes 
in obedience to your order. There was left no 
room for doubt of the necessity of the measure that 
had been adopted; hence, after a comparatively 
unimportant modification, I approved your order 
and thus assumed the whole, or at least my full 
share, of the responsibility for it. Upon returning 
to St. Louis, I made a full report of the matter - 

to President Lincoln, explaining the necessity of ij 

what had been done and assuming the responsibil- 
ity therefor. Neither that humane President nor 
any other officer of the Government ever uttered 
one word dissent as to the wisdom, justice, or 
humanity of that policy, and I now repeat that the 
responsibility for the policy was fairly shared with 
you by the President and by me in proportion to 
our respective rank and authority. 

"You understand that I have no desire in this 
to throw responsibility on President Lincoln, nor 
to defend mvself. I have never re^rarded that act ! 

as requiring exculpation. On the contrary, it was i 

an act of wisdom, courage, and humanity, by ^vhich 
the lives of hundreds of innocent people were saved 
and a disgraceful conflict brought to a summary 
close. Not a life was sacrificed, nor any great dis- 
comfort inflicted in carrying out the order. The 
necessities of all the poor people were provided for 
and none was permitted to suffer. 



ORDER No. 11, 255 

"A few unthinking people have no doubt sup- 
posed that the order was an act of retaliation for 
the massacre at Lawrence. Nothing could be 
more absurd. The farmers of western Missouri 
were not regarded in anywise responsible for 
Quantrell's acts. Whether they were willing or 
not made no difference. If they raised crops, his 
men lived upon them, as did also our troops when 
they had occasion. A larpe proportion of these 
citizens who were in good circumstances had vol- 
untarily ceased this unprofitable purveying and 
had gone elsewhere. It was simply an act of dis- 
passionate wisdom and humanity to stop it alto 
gether. To call your order an act of inhumanity 
or of retaliation upon the people of Missouri is like 
accusing the Kussian commander of similar crimes 
against the people of Moscow when he ordered the 
destruction of that city to prevent its occupation 
as winter quarters by the army of Napoleon. 

^^For my own part I have been and am still en- 
tirely content to leave to impartial history the ap- 
proval or condemnation of each of my official acts 
during the late war. But it is simply justice that 
you, who have been censured by some for your cel- 
ebrated order, have this statement of the facts in 
regard to it, for such use as 3^our just vindication 
may require. 

"I am. General, very truly your friend and 
obedient servant, /. M. Schofield, 

"Major-General." 



256 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

"Jefferson City, Feb. 22, 1877. 
'^Editor Repiihlican: 

'^Dear Sir, — We, the undersigned members of 
the Missouri Legislature, representing counties em- 
braced in the desolating order of General Thomas 
Ewing issued in 1863, in justice to our constituents 
who were sufferers therefrom respectfully request 
that the enclosed communication from General 
Bingham, in reply to the recent letter from Gen- 
eral Schofield vindicating said order, may be given 
a place in 3- our paper. 

"(7. N. Nolan, Jackson County. 

"Henry H. Craig, Jackson County. 

"/?. F. Wallace, Jackson County. 

"Stephen P. Twish, Jackson County. 

"Senator 0. T. Ballingiil, Jackson County. 

"Wm. Hall, Vernon County. 

"John JI. Snllens, Bates County. 

"J. F. Brookhart, Cahs County. 
"Editor RepuhUcan : 

"My attention has been called to a letter which 
appeared in your paper yesterday, written by 
Major-General Schofield, now in charge of the Mil- 
itary Academy at West Point, and addressed to 
General Thomas Ewing, of Lancaster, Ohio, for 
the purpose of relieving that gentleman from the 
odium which he has justly incuri'ed by the well- 
known and infamous military order issued by him 
in 1863, in the enforcement of which a large and 
populous district of our State, embracing several 
counties bordering on the State of Kansas, was 



ORDER No. 11. 257 

utterly desolated — its inhabitants driven from 
their homes, their dwellings committed to the 
flames, and their farms laid waste. 

^'The general has exercised a caution, charac- 
teristic of all great military commanders, in allow- 
ing nearly fourteen years to transpire before ven- 
turing upon the defense of a measure which for 
heartless atrocity has no parallel in modern an- 
nals. He will be apt to discover, however, that 
there are those yet surviving who will be able to 
confront him in this prudently delayed effort to 
subordinate history to the service of tyrann}^ 

^'He ventures to assert that ^the order was an 
act of wisdom, courage, and humanity, by which 
the lives of hundreds of innocent people were saved 
and a disgraceful conflict brought to a summary 
close.' That ^not a life was sacrificed, nor any 
great discomfort inflicted in carrying out the or- 
der,' and that ^the necessities of the poor people 
were provided for and none w^ere permitted to suf- 
fer.' Never did an equal number of words embody 
a greater amount of error. The order was, soon af- 
ter it was issued, denounced by the late Gen. Blair, 
as an act of imbecility. Upon the supposition that 
it was intended to aid the cause of the Union and 
weaken the Rebellion, his denunciation was cer- 
tainly just. In view, however, of its purpose as 
revealed by its actual results, in the ruin of thous- 
ands of our citizens and the speedy transfer of their 
movable w^ealth to their dishonest neighbors in 
Kansas, it must be confessed that it exhibited the 



258 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

consummate wisdom of the serpent. Never was a 
robber}^ so stupendous more cunningly devised or 
successfully accomplished, with less personal risk 
to the robbers. As an act of purely arbitrary \- 

power, directed against a disarmed and defenseless 
population, it was an exhibition of cowardice in 
its most odious and repulsive form. As outraging 
every principle of justice and doing violence to 
every generous and manly sentiment of the human 
heart, its title to be regarded as an act of human- 
ity can only be recognized by wretches destitute of 
every quality usuall}^ embraced under that appel- 
lation. It did not bring ^a disgraceful conflict to 
a summary close.' It, indeed, put an end to pred- 
atory raids of Kansas ^Red-Legs and Jayhawkers,' 
by surrendering to them all they coveted, leaving 
nothing that could further excite their cupidity; 
but it gave up the country to the bushwhackers, 
who, until the close of the war, continued to stop 
the stages and rob the mails and passengers, and 
no one wearing the Federal uniform dared to risk 
his life within the desolated district, 

^^I was present in Kansas City when the order 
was being enforced, having been drawn thither by 
the hope that I would be able to have it rescinded, 
or at least modified, and can affirm, from painful 
personal observation, that the sufferings of the un- 
fortunate victims were in many instances such as 
should have elicited sympathy- even from hearts of 
stone. Bare-footed and bare-headed women and 
children, stripped of every article of clothing 



ORDER No. 11, 259 

except a scant covering for their bodies, were ex- 
posed to the heat of an August sun and compelled 
to struggle through the dust on foot. All their 
means of transportation had been seized by their 
spoilers, except an occasional dilapidated cart, or 
an old and superannuated horse, which were neces- 
sarily appropriated to the use of the aged and 
infirm. 

'^It is well-known that men were shot down in 
the very act of obeying the order, and their wagons 
and effects seized by their murderers. Large 
trains of wagons, extendins: over the prairies for 
miles in length, and moying Kansasward, were 
freighted with eyery description of household fur- 
niture and wearing apparel belonging to the exiled 
inhabitants. Dense columns of smoke arising in 
eyery direction marked the conflagrations of dwell- 
ings, many of the evidences of which are yet to be 
seen in the remains of seared and blackened chim- 
neys, standing as melancholy monuments of a 
j'uthless military despotism which spared neither 
age, sex, character, nor condition. There was 
neither aid nor protection afforded to the banished 
inhabitants by the heartless authority which ex- 
pelled them from their rightful possessions. They 
crowded by hundreds upon the banks of the Mis- 
souri Kiver, and were indebted to the charity of 
benevolent steamboat conductors for transporta- 
tion to places of safety where friendly aid could be 
extended to them without danger to those who 
ventured to contribute it. General Schofield repre- 



260 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

sents the counties embraced in the order as having 
been nearly depopulated by *a savage guerrilla 
warfare,' which for two years had been waged 
therein, thus attempting to make it appear that 
the order operated only on a few remaining far- 
mers, who, ^whether they sympathized with the 
guerrillas or not, were mere furnishers of supplies 
to these outlaws.' 

'^It is true that such w^arfare had been waged, 
but the largest portion of the guerrillas engaged 
in this warfare were the well-known Mayhawkers 
and Ked-Legs' of Kansas, acting under the author- 
ity of no law, military or civil, yet carrying on 
their nefarious operations under the protection 
and patronage of General Ewing and his predeces- 
sors from the State of Kansas. The others, consti- 
tuting the more determined and desperate class, 
were chiefly outlawed Missourians, known as bush- 
whackers, and claiming to act under Confederate 
authority. Their members, however, were at all 
times insignificant in comparison with the Federal 
troops stationed in these counties. 

^^As the inhabitants had all been disarmed by 
Federal authority, they were powerless to resist 
these outlaAVS, and, as General Schofield admits, 
were compelled to yield to their demands, whether 
willingly or unwillingly. Yet they were not, as 
General Scofield's affirms, mere furnishers of sup- 
plies to these outlaws. On the contrary, it may be 
safely asserted that the supplies furnished by them 
to the Federal forces, if properly estimated, would 



ORDER No. 11. 261 

reach twenty times, if not fifty times, the amount 
forced from them by bushwhackers. These des- 
perate characters could at any time have been ex- 
terminated or driven from the country had there 
been an earnest purpose on the part of the Federal 
forces in that direction, properly braced by a will- 
ingness to incur such personal risks as become the 
profession of a soldier. 

''But the guerrilla warfare in these counties 
had not, at the date of this order, nearl}^ depopu- 
lated them, as alleged by General Schofield. The 
inhabitants possessed fertile and valuable lands. 
Many of them had become wealthy, and all pos- 
sessed comfortable homes, from which neither the 
tyranny of their military rulers nor the frequent 
depredaticms of Kansas 'Red-Legs' and Confed- 
erate bushwhackers had succeeded in expelling 
them. The sweeping and indiscriminate order, 
therefore, operated in all its diabolical and ruinous 
force upon a population quite as numerous as then 
inhabited an equal number of any other border 
counties of our State. I was present when an offi- 
cer reported to General Ewing that several hun- 
dred citizens, in obedience to the order, had re- 
ported to the military post at Harrisonville, Cass 
County, had proved their loyalty to the satisfaction 
of the officers in command there, and earnestly re- 
quested that they might be armed in order to de- 
fend themselves and their property. This reason- 
able request was refused, it being doubtless in- 



262 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

tended that their property should supply other 
wants than those of its owners. 

"If it shall become necessary, I feel confident 
that it can be easily shown that not a reason given 
by General Schofield in justification of this crime 
against humanity has any just basis in fact relat- 
ing thereto. His efforts to make it appear as the 
result of a necessity analogous to that which w^ar- 
ranted the conflagration of Moscow is sufficient to 
excite the risibility of any one familiar with the 
two cases. Napoleon was entering Moscow with 
a victorious and overwhelming force in the midst 
of a Russian winter, during which his only reliance 
for subsistance would have been upon the supplies 
stored within the limits of the city. The destruc- 
tion, therefore, of these was the salvation of the 
Russian empire. In the case of the measure which 
he undertakes to defend the overwhelming force 
was with General Ewing, whose duty it was to 
protect the people and exnel the bushwhackers 
who infested their country. In doing this, how- 
ever, he would necessarily have exposed himself 
and command to a few casualties incidental to 
war. He therefore adopted the policy, safest to 
himself, of expelling the disarmed and defenseless 
people, leaving the country in possession of their 
enemies, who had no difficulty in procuring all the 
supplies they needed in the counties immediately 
adjoining. 

"Such an order could scarcely be justified as 
directed against communities on a level in deprav- 



ORDER No. 11. 263 

ity with the ancient denizens of Sodom and Gom- 
orrah. Yet those whom it embraced in its ruinous 
swoop, in all the virtues Avhich characterized a 
Christian community, Avould not have suffered in 
comparison with any other rural population. 
Their political character may best be determined 
by a few facts of their history. In the election for 
members of our State Convention early in 1861, in 
which the question of secession was distinctly in- 
volved, not a single vote in the entire district des- 
olated by this order was cast for a secession candi- 
date, and those charged with being inclined in that 
direction were defeated by overwhelming majori- 
ties. During the entire period of the war, out- 
raged and oppressed as they were, they furnished, 
at every call for troops to replenish the forces of 
the Union their full quota b}^ volunteers, thus re- 
sponding to the necessities of their Government 
without the compulsion of a draft. 

"General Schofield ungenerously attempts to 
make President Lincoln jointly responsible with 
himself and General Ewing for the execution of 
this order. It is evident, however, that the assent 
and approbation of the President were predicated 
solel}' on the representations of his general, and 
not upon the actual facts relating to the matter, of 
which he could have had no personal knowledge. 
It can be proved that he went up to Kansas City 
from his headquarters in St. Louis for the purpose 
of rescinding this order, from the execution of 
which purpose in harmony with the noble instincts 



2B4 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

of humanity, he was likely deterred by the same 
commanding influence which has induced him to 
attempt its defense. 

^^General Ewing has doubtless discovered that 
this, his crowning- military achievement of 1863, 
was not of a nature as well calculate<i to secure the 
favor of the Democracy with whom he is now asso- 
ciated, as it was to win to his support the ^Jay- 
hawkers' and corrupt rabble of Kansas, through 
whose aid, there is reason to believe, he then 
looked for political preferment, and thence his ef- 
fort arising from necessities of his shifted aspira- 
tions, to secure for it a gloss, which his associate 
in responsibility therefor has endeavored to put 
upon it, at the sacrifice alike of justice and truth. 

''G. a Bingham, 

"Jefferson City, Feb. 22.'' 



QUANTRELL AND HIS MEN. 265 

Chapter XXV. 

QUANTRELL* AND HIS MEN. 

Know thou this, that men are as the time is. 

— ShalccsiKarc, 

After the expulsion of Price's army from Mis- 
souri, the guerrillas alone kept up the tumult 
and turmoil with the Federals. Sometimes Price, 
Shelby, or Marmaduke "raided'' the State. These 
raids, however, were spasmodic and infrequent. 
But Quantrell and his men were a sort of perpet- 
ual motion. At first blush, the guerrilla warfare 
seems anomalous, but a slight analysis discovers 
that it w as transmitted from direct and unequiv- 
ocal antecedents. The guerrilla was an offspring 
of monstrous conditions prevailing among the 
early settlers of Missouri and Kansas. He came 
of the best and gentlest blood, and the true guer- 
rilla was never a coward or poltroon. 

Edwards says of the guerrilla: "He believed 
that the patriotism of Jennison and Lane was 
highway robbery transformed from darkness to 
dawm. Desperate and remorseless as he undoubt- 
edly was, the guerrilla saw^ shining down upon 
his pathway a luminous patriotism, and he fol- 
lowed it eagerly that he might kill in the name 
of God and his country." 

William Clark Quantrell w^as the greatest 
guerrilla the world ever produced, and as such he 

'This name, according to Capt. W. H. Gregg, should be spelled Quantrill. 
18 



266 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIAN8. 

has his place in universal history. This strange, 
taciturn, undemonstrative leader was born of ex- 
cellent parentage at Hagerstown, Maryland, July 
20, 1836. He received a good English education. 
After leaving school, he joined an older brother 
in Kansas, and the two started in wagons for 
Pike's Peak. They were overtaken by a band of 
thirty-two Kansas Jayhawkers, who seized the 
mules and the wagons, and left the two Quan- 
trells weltering in their own blood, and supposed 
to be dead. The younger one, William Clark 
Quantrell, lived. For two days and nights he lay 
watching and swooning by his dead brother. An 
old Indian and his squaw were the good Samar- 
itans who saved the future guerrilla chief. Quan- 
trell went to Lawrence, joined the Kansas State 
Militia, became an expert with a pistol, learned 
the names of his assailants and his brother's as- 
sassins, and, as opportunity offered, shot every 
one of them through the temple, except two who 
had moved to California. He was known simply 
as Charles Hart, and was patient, grave, uncom- 
municative, well dressed, and he stood high 
among his acquaintances; he was given import- 
ant duties in the command, and was generally 
regarded as a capable man. 

Quantrell organized at Lawrence an Under- 
ground Eailroad expedition into Missouri for the 
purpose of running off the negroes belonging to 
Morgan Walker, who lived near Blue Springs. 
Quantrell apprised the Walkers of the intended 



QUANTRELL AND HIS MEN. 267 

raid, and arranged to assist in the extirpation of 
the band. There were four men with Quantrell, 
and he led them into Walker's house, where they 
were all killed. Three of these, according to 
Edwards, belonged to the thirty-two above 
mentioned. 

After this, Quantrell remained in Jackson 
County. He assisted Colonel Gill, father of Judge 
Turner A. Gill, and Mr. Lipscomb, of Little Santa 
Fe, in transporting their negroes to Texas, where 
they were out of the reach of the Kansas Jay- 
hawkers. Returning from Texas, Quantrell 
joined Price's army at Cowskin Prairie, and took 
part as a private in the battle of Wilson Creek. 
When Price marched against Mulligan at Lexing- 
ton, Quantrell came to Jackson County and be- 
gan unconsciously the slow and tedious process 
of organizing the band which under his leader- 
ship became famous. Quantrell was not at the 
battle of Lexington, although Edwards gives the 
following graphic account of his presence there: 

"Mounted on a splendid horse, armed with a 
Sharp's carbine and four navy revolvers, for a 
uniform a red shirt, and for oriflamme a sweep- 
ing black plume, he advanced farthest, fell back 
with the last, and was always omnipresent Gen- 
eral Price — himself notorious for being superbly 
indifferent under fire — remarked his bearing and 
caused mention to be made of it most favorable." 

Edwards never permits any of his heroes to 
suffer for the want of a good word. Edwards was 



268 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

an advocate, not a judge. He has fallen into 
many errors in his history of Quantrell and his 
men. Hence I make specific mention of him 
wherever I have occasion to use him as authority. 
The material for this chapter comes largely from 
Captain Wm. H. Gregg, of Kansas City, Mo., a 
brave and enterprising soldier, a leader upon 
v^hom Quantrell often imposed the most arduous 
duties, and who was always ready and capable. 

QuantrelFs original band consisted of Will 
Hallar, Geo. Todd, John Little, Jas. Little, John 
Hampton, and Joe Vaughn. Closely associated 
with this band — closely enough, indeed, to be 
regarded as original integral parts of it — were 
A. J. Liddil, Ed. Koger, the Walker boys, James 
Kelley, and Solomon Basham. The objects of this 
band were to recover stolen property, to catch 
thieves, and to protect property from organized 
despoilers. 

Quantrell was a modest man, and did not seek 
to lead the band at first. He was unconscious of 
his vast capability as a leader. There was imme- 
diate and pressing work for the young organiza- 
tion. The band began operations by catching 
and hanging a man by the name of Searcy, a 
wholesale horse-thief and all-round robber. The 
band recovered from this great thief over seventy 
head of horses, many wagons, and much other 
property taken from people in Jackson, Cass, and 
Johnson counties. Many of these people still 
live, some of whom I know. The property was 



QUANTRELL AND EI8 MEN. 269 

all returned to the rightful owners, who willingly 
paid small sums in remuneration for the seryices 
of recovery. The Kansas Jayhawkers instantly 
raised the hue and cry that Quantrell's band 
stole horses from Union men, who were forced to 
recover tlieir property by i3urchase. 

Jennison^s Jayhawkers came down, ostensibly 
to protect Union men. They plundered the citi- 
zens and burned houses. Quantrell's band am- 
bushed Jennison, and killed five of his men. Bur- 
ris came down with his freebooters on the same 
mission which brought Jennison; he also burned 
and plundered, and was ambuscaded, losing four 
or five of his men. Jennison and Burris both car- 
ried the Federal flag. 

Soon after the band hung Searcy, it received 
three able recruits, John Koger, James Hend- 
ricks, and Wm. H. Gregg. In a short time the 
band numbered thirty men; it continued to grow, 
and, before the war was over, it contained 400 
desperate fighters, and the leader bore a commis- 
sion from the Confederate Government. Quan- 
trell's first application for a commission was 
refused on account of his peculiar method of 
fighting. 

On the 22d of February, 1862, Quantrell rode 
into Independence, Mo., with less than a score of 
men, believing the place to be unoccupied by 
troops. An Ohio cavalry regiment was there, and 
a battle was fought in which Quantrell lost in 
killed Gabriel George and Hopp Wood. 



270 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

Wm. H. Greggs says of this little fight: "I 
got my arm blackened with a saber in the hands 
of a sturdy, brave Ohio cavalryman." 

The Federals lost four or five men. About a 
month after this, March 20th, Quantrell camped 
with forty men in the Little Blue church, four 
miles northeast of Blue Springs, He sent out 
foragers, one of whom brought in a copy of the 
St. Louis Republican, in which was published an 
order by General Halleck, then in command of 
the Department of Missouri, directing his troops 
to shoot or hang Quantrell or his men wherever 
caught or found. This might well have meant 
the black flag. But Quantrell never carried the 
black flag, all the books so far written to the con- 
trary notwithstanding. On the other hand, I saw 
a black flag carried at the head of a Federal 
company, which marched past our camp at sun- 
down of the first day after leaving our home 
under Order No. 11. The meaning of the flag 
was discussed in my presence. The flag and the 
discussion made a lasting impression on my child- 
ish mind. 

In a few days after Halleck^s order was pub- 
lished, Quantreirs band captured a ^^Dutch" Fed- 
eral sergeant who was guarding a bridge over 
the Big Blue. Quantrell remarked, "Boys, they 
issue the order, but we draw first blood"; where- 
upon he drew his revolver and killed the ser- 
geant. They burned the bridge. Night overtook 
them near Little Santa Fe. Quantrell and twen- 



QUANTBELL AND ni8 MEN. 271 

ty-one men put up at a Mr. Tate's house; the 
others were quartered at farm-houses in the neigh- 
borhood. A Kansas regiment swooped down on 
the Tate house, scattered QuantrelPs men, and 
captured all their horses. On two other occa- 
sions, during tlie summer of 1862, Quantrell and 
his men lost their horses — at Clark's and Lowe's 
houses. The encounter at Clark's house was 
within a mile of my boyhood home; it was a mere 
scrimmage with considerable shooting, but in no 
sense coming up to Edwards' description of it. 

The Federals captured Perry Hoy at the Tate 
house affair; he was taken to Leavenworth and 
shot, in spite of Quantrell's offer to exchange a 
lieutenant for him. Quantrell released the lieu- 
tenant, who went home, saying he would not 
fight for a government that would not exchange 
a private for him, an officer. 

About July 1, 1862, we find Quantrell in 
Henry County with ninety-five men. Colonel Up- 
ton Hays, on his way from the south, joined him 
here for a few days and they repulsed an attack 
of a Federal company under Captain Keynolds, 
from Clinton, Mo., who came out to capture Quan- 
trell. Hays proceeded afterwards toward Jack- 
son County with thirty of Quantrell's men as an 
escort. In a few days, Quantrell, with only sixty- 
five men, marched into Cass County on his way 
to Jackson, fighting frequently as he marched, 
and always against heavy odds. The next six 
weeks, according to Captain Gregg, made a pe- 



272 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

riocl the most thrilling in the history of border 
warfare. 

Major Jas. O. Gower commanded the Federal 
post at Clinton. After the rough experience of 
Eeynolds with Qnantrell, Gower marched out 
with 65 men and sent couriers to Gapt. Ankenj, 
who came next morning from Butler with 65 men; 
and to Capt. W. A. Martin, who came from Harri- 
sonville with 65 men; and to Capt, Miles Kehoe, 
who came from Warrensburg with 61 men. Gower 
thus had 266 men with which to capture Quan- 
trelPs 65 guerrillas. A long and terrific battle oc- 
curred a few miles west of Pleasant Hill, on the 
Searancy farm. A number of men were killed. 
The Federals seemed absolutely devoid of fear. 
QuantrelPs ammunition gave out, and his men 
snccessfully defended themselves for a time by 
pelting their assailants with stones. This was 
possible, inasmuch as there was inebriation 
among the Federals. Captain Gregg, with his 
22 men, cut through the Federal lines, and so 
enabled the band to escape into Jackson County. 
Major Gower reported the guerrilla force at 250 
strong. 

The next battles were at Independence and 
Lone Jack, treated in appropriate chapters. 

After the battle at Lone Jack, Quantrell and 
his men marched to Olathe, Kansas, for the pur- 
pose of killing ten men to avenge the killing of 
Perry Hoy at Leavenworth. This purpose they 
fully accomplished before reaching Olathe, which. 



QUANTRELL AND HIS MEN. 273 

place they captured with 120 troops; the latter 
were paroled. After Olathe, they raided Shaw- 
neetown, killing* ten or twelve Kansans. Before 
going south for the winter they engaged in nu- 
merous small affairs. As they retreated south, 
they captured, near llarrisonville, a train of fif- 
teen or twenty Federal wagons, which they 
burned. The guards, about twenty in number, 
were killed. They made an unsuccessful attack 
on the Federal post at Lamar. When Quantrell 
arriyed at Van Buren, Ark., his command was 
attached to Shelby's brigade, and it took part in 
the battles of Prairie Grove, Springfield, Harts- 
ville, and others. 

After the leaves came out in the spring of 
1863, Quantrell returned with his men from the 
South, and soon had a small army under his com- 
mand. He was joined by Todd, Pool, Blunt, An- 
derson, and Jarrett, each with a company, and 
there were numerous other leaders with small 
detachments of men, all willingly acknowledg- 
ing the authority of Quantrell, and coming under 
his leadership when required. These men, rank 
and file, were as brave as men could be, and all 
were true comrades. If any man faltered, he was 
disowned xind jeered out of the ranks. 

During the summer of 1803, these various com- 
panies and detachments operated over a wide 
range of country, annoying and terrifying the 
Federals. While Pool was operating in Saline 
or Lafayette counties, Blunt would be in Jackson 



274 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

on the Sni or the Little Blue; Todd would be hang- 
ing around Westport or Kansas Oit}^; Jarrett 
might be in Cass County; Anderson maybe in 
Eay or Carroll County, or in Kansas. In June 
Captain Gregg took ten men into Clay County. 
He sent word to Missouri City that two bush- 
whackers were lying drunk in Uncle Jerry Pee- 
bly's yard. Captain Sessions, who was regarded 
by Gregg's men as an informer — even a murderer, 
came out with twelve men. These came into the 
trap, and at the first round eight fell dead and the 
ninth was severely wounded. The three others 
were pursued and slain before they got back to 
town. 

The Federals hastil.y evacuated Missouri City, 
and Gregg's little force took possession of the 
place. The ten camped the next day in the 
northern part of the county, where they learned 
from some school-children that a body of troops 
had j)assed down toward Missouri City. Gregg 
knew intuitively that the troops were from Platts- 
burg, and that they were bent on avenging the 
death of Sessions and his men. Gregg at once 
marched with his daring band straight to Platts- 
burg and captured the place after a severe bat- 
tle with twenty Federals, who surrendered; 300 
loaded guns and |6,000 of ^^Gamble" money were 
seized. Colonel James H. Birch, aid-de-camp of 
Governor Gamble, was made a prisoner. The 
whole northern part of the State was intensely 
excited, and 10,000 troops were put in motion to 



QUANTRELL AND HIS MEN. 275 

capture or chase away the ten, who, after many 
escapades, recrossed the river at Blue Mills Land- 
ing. Not one of the ten was even wounded. 

Those comprising this daring band were Cap- 
tain Wni. H. Gregg, Lieutenant Scott, Jas. A. 
Hendricks, James Little, John Jackson, Joe Hart, 
Henry CoAvherd, Fletcher Taylor, and Frank 
James. 

On the 15th of August, 1863, Quantrell called 
a council of war at the Garrol farm south of Oak 
Grove, Mo. Here they determined upon the raid 
on Lawrence. The rendezvous was in Johnson 
County, Mo. Captain Gregg was QuantrelPs adju- 
tant and aid-de-camp. He counted the men, 291, 
who took part in the raid at Lawrence. The trip 
was in every sense a terrible one. Quantrell and 
his men were on horseback almost constantly for 
four days and five nights, and for three days and 
nights were without food. The burning of Law- 
rence, the killing, the retreat, the pursuit, and the 
running fights make up one of the most exciting 
stories of the war. 

Professor Spring, of the Kansas University, 
w^rites: "In the destruction of Lawrence, August 
21, 18G3, the irregular, predatory hostilities of the 
border reached a shocking climax. The crimes 
which brought about that event Avere various, and 
have been in the main already indicated — the 
campaign of Lane's brigade, the depredations of 
Eed-legs, enmities of the settlement of Lawrence 
in 1854, as well as ordinary bushwhacking mo- 



276 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

tives of plunder. ^Jennison lias laid waste our 
homes/ was the declamation of more than one 
Missourian on the day of the massacre, ^and Red- 
legs have perpetrated unheard-of crimes. Houses 
have been plundered and burned, defenseless men 
shot down, and women outraged. We are here 
for revenge — and we have got it.' " 

The raid on Lawrence so horrified and exas- 
perated the Federals that General Ewing imme- 
diately issued Order No. 11. 

It was fitting that the Lawrence raid should 
close the career of Quantrell. He continued in 
the saddle for more than a year after that event, 
but we hear very little more of him. The guer- 
rilla school which he had trained for two years 
now sent forth graduates destined to perform 
bloody work in the summer of 1864. As Quantrell 
disappears slowly from sight, the prodigious fig- 
ures of Anderson and Todd gather on the view. 
From the ranks of these leaders rose after the 
war the James boys and the Youngers. In the 
autumn after the Lawrence raid Quantrell went 
south for the winter. The next summer he came 
again to Missouri, visited his old familiar haunts, 
and roamed over the region desolated by Order 
No. 11. He was here in the autumn of 1864, when 
Price made his great raid. But Quantrell had lost 
his enterprise and ambition, or had permitted his 
men to slip from him; they were massing around 
other leaders, and he murmured no regret 

After Price's great raid, Quantrell and a few 



QUANTBELL AND HIS MEN, 277 

companions crossed over into Kentucky, where 
he was killed. His death was not consequential. 
The tragic end must be classed among the smaller 
items of his biography. Every life begins in song 
and ends in tragedy; between the two look for 
history. 



278 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

Chapter XXYI. 

THE STORY OF DONIPHAN. 

One comfort is, that great men, taken up in any way, are 
profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, 
upon a great man without gaining something by him. — Garlylc^ 

No one conversant with Missouri history will 
deny that General Alexander W. Doniphan was 
one of Missouri's greatest men. He was as re- 
markable for the honors in his grasp and declined 
as for any of his actual achievements. He could 
have been elected to the United States Senate 
instead of Louis Y. Bogy in 1877, but he refused 
to allow his name to be presented to the caucus. 
In 1876 the National Democratic Convention met 
in St. Louis. At one time it was doubtful whether 
Tilden could be nominated. In the event of such 
failure, it was proposed to give the nomination to 
Doniphan. But he was indifferent to office in civil 
life. He was moved to his highest capabilities 
only by military action. It is remarkable that he 
found no field for the exercise of his genius in the 
Civil War. 

The meager part enacted by Doniphan in the 
great Civil War is explained in two ways. On the 
one hand it has been intimated that he was piqued 
by the promotion of General Price to the position 
of major-general of the State Guards, and on the 
other it is claimed that Governor Jackson offered 



TEE STORY OF DONIPEAN. 279 

him tlie appointment and that he declined it. 

I am able to set this question at rest forever. 
Mr. M. P. Lietz, an old and highly esteemed citizen 
of Fulton, Mo., who is now beyond eighty years of 
age, who in his early manhood accompanied Doni- 
phan to Mexico and who is accredited by John T. 
Hughes as author of a part of the latter's "Doni- 
phan's Expedition to Mexico," writes me the fol- 
lowing in a letter: 

"In the troubles that grew out of seceding 
States, a peace congress was appointed to meet in 
Washington City, and the governor appointed Col, 
Doniphan the peace commissioner from Missouri. 
By accident I was in Washington City at that time 
and by chance met Col. Doniphan on Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue, and while we were together the 
first troops, a body of 1500, came in a gallop up 
the street. I said to Col. Doniphan: ^What do you 
think of the policy of the Government to overrun 
us with soldiers?' He answered: ^I will tell you 
what I think; if I had my old regiment here, I 
would whip them out in thirty minutes.' 

"Now for the Missouri command: I was at 
Boonville, Mo., in June, 1861, the day before the 
battle; was sitting in front of the hotel in the 
shade. Governor C. F. Jackson came along and 
took the vacant chair by me. As I was anxious to 
know what was intended, I asked him several 
questions in regard to future action. He then 
told me that he had appointed Col. Doniphan com- 
mander-in-chief of the Missouri forces and that 



280 BATTLES AND BIOOBAPHIES OF MI^SOVRIANS. 

after keeping the commission two weeks, he had 
declined to accept it; and then he pulled Doni- 
phan's letter of non-acceptance from his pocket 
and read it to me. Col. Doniphan's reasons were 
that he had had two children,both boys, and before 
this one was drowned and the other accidentally 
killed by gun-shot. This loss had shattered his 
wife's health and he could not get her to consent 
to let him go to battle, as she had suffered much 
while he was in Mexico. Doniphan was com- 
mander-in-chief [major-general] of the Missouri 
forces for two weeks, only lacking the will to ac- 
cept. The remarks that Jackson made at the time 
are no part of history, and I will not repeat them. 
At this time the governor had appointed Gleneral 
Sterling Price commander-in-chief of the Missouri 
forces, and Price was in a bed sick in the hotel less 
than fifty feet from where we were sitting." 

General Doniphan was a member of the State 
convention, and voted with Price against taking 
Missouri out of the Union. At the July meeting 
of the convention he voted against deposing Gov- 
ernor Jackson; he refused to attend the November 
meeting. Meantime he attended the Peace Con- 
gress at Washington, D. C, as the delegate from 
Missouri. 

While in Washington, he w^as introduced to 
President Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln, struck by the 
magnificent presence and courtly bearing of his 
visitor, exclaimed: "And this is Colonel Doni- 
phan, who made the wonderful march from Santa 



THE 8T0R7 OF DONIPHAN. ' 281 

Fe to Monterey against both Indians and Mexi- 
cans. Now, Colonel, permit me to say you are the 
only man connected with any great military en- 
terprise who ever came up in his looks to my 
expectations." 

While General Price lay at Springfield in the 
winter after the battle of Lexington, Colonel John 
T. Hughes was sent back to the Missouri River on 
an expedition which proved a signal failure, owing 
to the quick intervention of Doniphan. Doniphan 
learned in some way of the proposed expedition, 
and he hastened to Plattsburg to convey the infor- 
mation to Colonel James H. Birch, Federal com- 
mander at that place. Colonel Birch, writing in 
the summer of 1899 of this episode, quotes Doni- 
phan as saying: ''Colonel, I have ridden all the 
way from Liberty to place in your possession a 
very grave military secret. I might have gone 
to Independence, but you are the only member 
of the Hxamble dynasty' whom I trust, having 
known you since boyhood. My information is 
that John T. Hughes has left camp at Osceola 
and with his regiment is coming home. His men 
want to see their families; but this is not what 
is bringing John home- I know John Hughes; 
he was in my regiment in Mexico, and there is 
not a more daring or ambitious officer in Price's 
army. I am informed that he intends to cross 
the river at xllbany, six miles above Lexing- 
ton. He will tear up the Hannibal & St Joseph 

Bailroad from Macon Cit}^ to St. Joseph and 
19 



282 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

burn the bridges; he will recruit a regiment; he 
will attack the militia by squads, and before 
the railroads can be rebuilt and reinforcements 
brought in he will have retreated south. Now all 
this w^ould not trouble me, for he would take out of 
northwest Missouri many whose absence would 
leave us in peace; but w^hen his brigade left, every 
soldier would be mounted on some Union man's 
horse and his every team would be from some 
Union man's barn, and when the Federals got in 
again, every Union man would charge his s )uth?in 
neighbor with piloting them to his barn, and the 
devil would be in supreme command and hell 
w^ould be a pleasure resort to wiiat w^ould take 
place then. Now to prevent all this I have made 
this trij). You must go to-night to Bt, Louis and 
lay this information before ITalleck." Col. Kirch 
proposed to telegraph the information, but Doni- 
phan said it would not do. Colonel Birch mount:^d 
a young thoroughbred horse and rode to Osborn, 
fourteen miles, in an hour and thirteen minutes, 
reaching there just in time to catch the train for 
St Louis. Halleclv acted promptly and orderedl 
General Prentiss to repair with a strong force to 
Albany. Hughes was just about to cross when 
Prentiss arrived; a few shots were exchanged 
across the river. Hughes retreaterl south and 
reached Price in time to take part in the battle of 
Pea Eidge. 



GENERAL STERLING PRICE. 283 

Chapter XXVII. 

GENERAL STERLING PRICE. 

Also, the hero from of old has had to cramp himself into 
strange shapes; the world knows not well at any time what to 
do with him. — Carli/lc. 

To none of our heroes have the people of this 
State accorded snch a generous and unstinted par- 
tiality as they have to General Price. The Gov- 
ernment at Iiichmond never knew what to do with 
Price. The people of Missouri were wiser; they 
believed in him, and followed him and loved him. 

Price was a stern, y^t gentle man. Many a 
time his rugged face was streaked with tears in 
battle when his ^^boys" were cut to pieces. To him 
his troops were always his ^'boys"; to them he was 
'^old Pap." Price w^as stern almost to harshness 
when men forgot their dut^\ After the battle of 
Corinth, one of the Missouri companies decided to 
leave the service and return home. The term of 
enlistment had expired. The whole company was 
put under arrest and taken to General Price. 
Scarcely had the case been stated when Price 
roared out: ^*A11 of you who want to re-enlist, 
step forward; all who want to be shot, stand still." 
There was an instant shuffling of feet as the men 
moved forward; even the caj^tain signified his de- 
sire to re-enlist then and there by stepping to the 
front — a little slower, however, than the others. 



284 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

Price believed in duty as he believed in God. 
To him there was no stronger word than the word 
"duty.'' During all the four years of the war he 
was overslaughed and held back by the mistrust 
or jealousy of Jeff. Davis. If Davis was jealous 
of Price, and he might not have been, he was the 
living definition of Ruskin's observation: "And 
take also your great English vice, European vice, 
vice of all the world, vice of all other worlds that 
roll or shine in heaven, bearing with them yet 
the atmosphere of hell — the vice of jealousy, which 
brings competition into your commerce, treachery 
into your councils, and dishonor into your wars." 
Price uttered no word of complaint; like a true, 
great man, he accepted subordinate positions and 
his zeal suffered no diminution. In adherence to 
duty. Price was the American Duke of Wellington. 

In "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War," Vol. 
2, a stormy scene between Price and Jeff Davis is 
described by an eye-witness. After the battle of 
Corintli, General Price wanted to return to Mis- 
souri with his Missouri troops. He went to Rich- 
mond to secure an order to this effect President 
Davis was cold and formal. At the first interview 
Davis requested Price to submit his proposition in 
writing, which Price did. At the next interview 
Davis informed Price that the order could not be 
issued; the Missourians could not be returned to 
the Trans-Mississippi Department. Price replied 
with the utmost respect and courtesy of manner: 
"If you will not let me serve you, I will neverthe- 



GENERAL STERLING PRICE. 285 

less serve my country. You cannot prevent me 
from doing that. I will send 3^ou m^^ resignation, 
and go back to Missouri and raise another army 
there without your assistance, and fight again un- 
der the flag of Missouri and win new victories for 
the South in spite of you.'' Davis was frigid in 
manner, and he replied in cutting, measured, icy 
tones: ^'Yonr resignation will be promptly ac- 
cepted, General, and if you do go back to Missouri 
and raise another army and win victories for the 
South, no one will be more pleased than myself — 
or surprised.''^ Then Price rose to his full height 
and brought his heavy fist down upon the table 
with a force that scattered the papers and up- 
set the inkstand: "Then I'll surprise you, sir." 
Whereupon Price strode furiously out of tlie room 
without looking back. He went to his hotel, wrote 
out his resignation, and prepared to leave for Mis- 
souri. The next day he received notice that in- 
stead of accepting his resignation, the President 
w^ould accede to his request. He could return 
to the Trans-Mississippi Department, and the Mis- 
souri troops would follow when Bragg could spare 
them Avith safety. This was probably the great- 
est victory Price ever won. He returned to his 
command and bade farewell to his "boys," prom- 
ising them that soon they should follow him back 
to Missouri. They never saw Price again. 

Jeff. Davis was a West Pointer, while Price had 
not received a military education. Davis was a 
man of strong convictions and strong prejudices; 



286 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

he believed that only the graduates of West Point 
could be efficient soldiers. Hence the President 
of the Southern Confederacy never could see any 
commendable military qualities in General Price. 
Davis was a good soldier himself and he had 
served with distinction in the war with Mexico. 
Price also had served in the Mexican War. But 
Price was a lax disciplinarian and at Santa F^ 
had permitted his men to separate into foraging 
parties, while a dangerous conspiracy was hatched 
against him among the Mexicans. Price brought 
his army safely out of the difficulty, but Davis 
probably attributed this final success to Price's 
good fortune, and not to Price's genius as a soldier. 
Possibly this was the beginning of the distrust 
which was never dislodged from Davis' mind. 

While General Price was in the vicinity of 
Springfield, after his victory over Mulligan at Lex- 
ington, Fremont ordered forward Major Zagonzi, 
of his body guard, and Major White, of the "Prairie 
Schooners," with forces. They surprised a detach- 
ment of Price's army under Major Lee Cloud, many 
miles away from Price. The men under Cloud fled 
in disorder to a skirt of timber, where they rallied 
and repulsed their assailants with heavy loss, 
eighty-five Federals being killed. One of Major 
Cloud's men fled in dismay to Price and reported 
that his comrades had all been massacred; he 
alone had escaped. Afterwards a courier arrived 
with news of a great victory. Price hung his head 
a moment and then said epigrammatically: "Damn 



GENERAL STERLING PRICE. gS? 

a man witli six legs!" referring to the four legs of 
the horse and the two of the man who brought the 
false story of disaster. 

Sterling Price was born in Prince Edward 
County, Virginia, in 1809. He came of a good, in- 
telligent, and well-to-do family. At an early age 
he was sent to the neighborhood schools, later to 
Hampden-Sidney College; afterwards he finished 
his education by studying law. In 1831 he moved 
with his father's family to Missouri and settled on 
a farm in Chariton County, which remained his 
home as long as he lived. In 1810 he was chosen 
to represent his county in the Legislature. He 
was made speaker of the House, a rare honor for 
a man of thirty-one and unknoAvn outside of his 
own county. He was an ideal presiding officer and 
at the next term he was chosen speaker again. 
From this he grew to be the most colossal figure 
in the civil and military affairs of the State. In 
1846 he was elected to Congress, but soon resigned 
on account of some adverse and unjust criticism. 
About this time it became manifest that w^ar be- 
tween the United States and Mexico was inevit- 
able. He returned to Missouri and raised a regi- 
ment, chiefly in the central counties of the State. 
At the same time Colonel A. W. Doniphan, of Clay 
County, had also raised a regiment. Doniphan's 
was the First and Price's the Second Missouri 
Mounted Volunteers. These constituted the main 
body of an expedition which, under General Kear- 
ney of theKegular Army, marched across the plaihs 



288 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0VRIAN8. 

and took possession of New Mexico and other Mex- 
ican provinces. The troops marched from Leaven- 
worth to Santa Fe, a distance of over 900 miles, in 
two detachments, for the better advantages of for- 
age, the first nnder Doniphan and the second 
under Colonel Price. A few days before Price 
arrived at Santa Fe, General Kearne}^ started with 
his 200 dragoons for California, leaving Colonel 
Doniphan in command. Toward the close of the 
year, Doniphan, after subduing the Navajo In- 
dians, set out for Chihuahua, and Colonel Price 
was left in sole military command. Now it was 
that the conspiracy above mentioned was formed. 
In a day the whole province was in turmoil and 
excitement, and desultory fighting occurred in 
many places. Wni. Bent, a Missourian who had 
been appointed governor, was murdered. Colonel 
Price acted promptly, and with 500 brought the 
conspirators to bay at Canada, at Moro, and at 
other places. At Taos the Mexicans took refuge 
in a large adobe church. Price's men cut through 
the walls with axes. In ten days the insurrection 
was crushed. The Missourians lost IT, and the 
Mexicans 285. The next year, I8I7, Colonel Price 
was commissioned a brigadier general. The fol- 
lowing summer General Price marched to Chihua- 
hua, Here he was informed by a deputation of 
Mexicans that peace had been made. He did not 
credit the report and occupied the place. He was 
appointed military governor of the province of 
Chihuahua. From the city of Chihuahua he 



GENERAL STERLING PRICE. 289 

marched to Santa Cruz de Resales, where he again 
heard that peace had been made. Again he gave 
the report no credence. He waited in vain a few 
days for its confirmation; then reduced the place 
by force, killing and wounding 300 Mexicans and 
losing 45 of his own men. 

At the close of the war General Price returned 
with his troops to Missouri. They were welcomed 
everywhere with great demonstrations of joy by 
the people. At the next general election, 1852, 
General Price was elected governor of the State 
of Missouri by a sweeping majorit}^ His oppo- 
nent was James W. Winston, a grandson of Patrick 
Henry, and a very distinguished lawyer. At the 
close of his four years' tranquil service as gov- 
ernor, Gen. Price retired peacefully to his farm in 
Chariton County, apparently satisfied with public 
life and Avith the civil and military honors he had 
achieved. For four years he led the contented and 
satisfj'ing life of a farmer. Then the great Civil 
War arose and drew him again into the vortex of 
public activity. General Price was a strong Union 
man, but he was not an unconditional Union man, 
as Blair was. Price had fought and shed his blood 
for the United States; he loved his Government; 
but he Avas Virginia born, and State dominion was 
one of the strongest tenets of his political doctrine. 
He supported Douglass for the Presidency in 1860, 
and he was not in sympathy with secession until 
the Camp Jackson affair. He was elected to the 
convention called into being by the Legislature for 



290 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

the purpose of determining whether Missouri 
should secede. He was made president of the 
convention, which promptly resolved that the 
State of Missouri should remain in the Union. 

The capture of Camp Jacksorf was an intoler- 
able obtrusion of Federal force into the autonomv 
of the State. Price instantly offered his sword to 
Governor Jackson, not in the interest of secession, 
but for the specific purpose of driving from the 
soil of Missouri such invaders as Lyon, and to pre- 
vent outside interference with the operation of the 
government of Missouri. 

Price began to assemble an army at Boonville. 
Before an army could be mobilized, Lyon appeared 
on the scene, and Price fled to the remote south- 
west corner of the State. Here he organized his 
Missouri army, called the State Guards. This was 
not a Confederate army; it was a Missouri army, 
and it marched under the flag of Missouri; its ob- 
ject was to make good the political tenets of Gen- 
eral Price — namely, to prevent outside interference 
with the State government of the State of Mis- 
souri. Seven chapters of this volume are devoted 
to a review of the achievements of the Army of 
Missouri, under the general caption, "Campaign of 
the Missouri State Guards." This army fought 
the battles of Wilson Creek, or Oak Hill, Drywood, 
Lexington, Pea Kidge, and a score of others. Gen- 
eral Price was wounded at the battle of Pea Eidge. 
After this battle the State Guards folded the flag 
of Missouri, and hoisted for the first time the Stars 



GENERAL STERLING PRICE. 291 

and Bars. General Price became a Confederate 
soldier, and went to fight east of the Mississippi 
Kiver for a time. AA^hen he left that department 
to return west, he furnished occasion for Ander- 
son to give him this farewell : ^^I have done with 
this great and magnanimous captain, this stain- 
less, undefiled, and devoted patriot — Missouri's 
brightest star and purest jew^el. He is to-day 
looked upon proudly by the mass of her people, 
and loved, honored, and admired by every one of 
her true-hearted sons that marched under his 
command.'' 

In 1862, General Van Dorn was appointed to 
command the Trans-Mississippi Department, and 
General Maury, of Virginia, came on from the 
Potomac as his chief of staff. The battle of Pea 
Eidge, or Elk Horn Tavern, was about to be 
fought. Van Dorn and Maury proceeded together 
and joined Price, who, with his army, had recently 
fled from Missouri, but had now turned and was 
confronting Curtis. Writing of the Pea Ridge 
campaign. General Maury said: 

"We took a steamer for Jacksonport, whence, 
on February 23d, we mounted our horses and 
started upon our ride across the State to Van 
Buren. We rode into that place on the evening of 
February 28th, and next morning, March 1st, left 
Van Buren for Price's camp in Boston Mountains, 
distant about thirty miles. The weather was bit- 
ter cold, and all day we traveled over an ascend- 
ing mountain road until dark, when we came to 



292 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIANS. 

the little farm-house in which the leader of the 
Missourians had made his headquarters. I was 
much impressed by the grand proportions and the 
stately air of the man who, up to that time, had 
been the foremost figure of the war beyond the 
Mississippi. General Price was one of the hand- 
somest men I have ever seen. He was over six 
feet two inches in stature, of massive proportions, > 
but easy and graceful in his carriage and gestures; 
his hands and feet were remarkably small and 
well-shaped; his hair and whiskers, which he wore 
in the old English fashion, were silver white; his 
face was ruddy and very benignant, yet firm in its 
expression ; his profile was finely chiseled, and be- 
spoke manhood of the highest tj^pe; his voice was 
clear and ringing, and his accentuation singularly 
distinct. A braver or a kinder heart beat in no 
man's bosom; he was wise in counsel, bold in ac- 
tion, and never spared his own blood on any bat- 
tle-field. No man had greater infiuence over his 
troops, and as he sat on his superb charger with 
the ease and lightness of one accustomed all his 
days to ride a thoroughbred horse, it was impos- 
sible to find a more magnificent specimen of man- 
hood in his prime than Sterling Price presented to 
the brave Missourians, who loved him with a fer- 
vor not less than we Virginians felt for Lee.'' 

After peace was made. General Price went to 
Mexico for a year, where he was a member of the 
board of emigration. He returned to his Chariton 



GENERAL STERLING PRICE. 293 

County farm, where he lived out the brief remain- 
ing da3^s of his life. 

In 1867 the cholera appeared in St. Louis. 
General Price, with characteristic disregard of 
personal danger, went to St. Louis to look after 
some business interests of a commission house with 
which he was connected. He was stricken down 
and 'died September 27, 1867. 



294 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

Chapter XXYIII. 

CLAIBORNE F. JACKSON. 

His life was gentle; and the elements 
So mixed in him., that Nature might stand up, 
And say to all the world, Thla is a nian. ^ 

— Shakespeare. 

History has done less for this man than it has 
for some smaller men. Claiborne Jackson has 
been scantily recognized by all who have essayed 
to write the history of his time. His was a strong, 
robust, manly nature. He scorned subterfuge 
and was open, direct, and honest He was ar- 
dently devoted to the welfare of the State, and 
was devoid of any shred of selfish ambition. He 
had been a successful business man and was es- 
teemed wealthy when called by his fellow-citizens 
to the governorship of the State. He cheerfully 
sacrificed his fortune on the altar of duty. In 
one year he was an exile from home and suffering 
the pinch of penury. He was hardly able to 
"make tongue and buckle meet," as he expressed 
it in the colloquialism of the day. But his poverty 
was an honorable one. At the moment of mak- 
ing the above remark, he was the guardian and 
the possessor of vast stores and large sums of 
money belonging to his beloved State. But he 
was puritanically honest and upright; not a cent 
nor a piece of provision would he touch for per- 
sonal use. These same stores were later divided 



CLAIBORNE F. JAGK80N. 295 

in a rude, soldierly way among the Missouri 
troops, to whom they belonged as much as to any- 
body, and Jackson died in poverty far from his 
home and among strangers. To write a complete 
biography of Governor Jackson would be tanta- 
mount to writing a history of the State for a pe- 
riod of a quarter of a century. He was in the 
Missouri Legislature, House and Senate, for many 
years; he was a member of the Constitutional Con- 
vention of 1845; he was bank commissioner for 
four years under Governor Stewart, from which 
position he succeeded to the governorship. As a 
legislator, he served as speaker of the House and 
was otherwise and always a useful and influential 
member. He was author of the banking law of 
the State; he was also author of the famous Jack- 
son Eesolutions, which had the effect of retiring 
Senator Benton to private life. He became gov- 
ernor at the most stormy period of the State's his- 
tory. His public career was long and useful. 

Claiborne Fox Jackson was born in Kentucky, 
April 4, 1807. His grandfather, Joseph Jacks m, 
was a native of Ireland, who settled at an early 
day in Virginia. Dempsey Jackson, father of 
Governor Jackson, was a Virginia Revolutionary 
soldier, and distinguished himself at the battle 
of Cowpens under General Morgan. Dempsey 
Jackson married Miss Mary Pickett, and in 1792 
moved to Fleming County, Kentucky, where he 
died in 1832. His widow moved to Howard 
County, Missouri, and died at the home of her 



296 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

son, Judge Wade M. Jackson, father of John 
Pickett Jackson, of Independence, Mo. The young 
future governor of Missouri left his Kentucky 
home without parental consent at the age of 18. 
He came to Missouri on horseback and settled 
near his brother. Judge Wade M. Jackson, at Old 
Franklin in Howard County. He was an active, 
enterprising young man, fond of cock-fighting, 
horse-racing, and fox-hunting. From the position 
of clerk in a general mercantile store, he worked 
his way up until he was proprietor of a large and 
lucrative business. He was a man of financial 
ability and soon amassed a fortune. He became a 
banker and politician. In early manhood he was 
chosen to represent his county in the Legislature. 
Here he found the sphere of his public career. 
The young and rapidly growing State needed at 
the helm such clear-headed and progressive men 
as "Claib" Jackson and Sterling Price. These 
two men w^ere nearly the same age, and they were 
life-long friends. 

In every epoch of our State, prominent and 
influential men have been unknown to Congress. 
Jackson was never a member of the national Leg- 
islature, although he was the Democratic congres- 
sional nominee at one time; he was defeated by 
Jas. Linley, Whig. Jackson had defeated a cer- 
tain railroad j)roject in the Legislature; this fact 
was turned against him by Linley at the last 
moment. Jackson was not an orator, although a 
good public speaker; he was a debater and a man 




GOVERNOR C. F. JACKSON. 



CLAIBORNE F. JACKSON. 297 

to be feared on the hustings. In one of his speeches 
he referred sarcastically to the bad spelling of 
John B. Clark, Sr. Mr. Clark took umbrage at 
what ite considered an unmerited stricture, and 
promptly challenged Jackson to fight a duel. 
Jackson accepted the challenge, and named rifles 
as the weapons, at 80 yards' distance. Jackson 
was an expert with a rifle. He had been known 
to bring down with his rifle a deer that he was 
chasing at full speed on horseback. Judge Abial 
Leonard bore Clark's challenge to Jackson. Leon- 
ard w^as a friend to both men, and he used his 
influence to prevent' the duel; he was finally suc- 
cessful on the day preceding the date of the duel. 
Jackson afterwards appointed Clark brigadier 
general of the State Guards. 

Governor Jackson was married three times, 
and the three wives w^ere sisters, daughters of 
Dr. John Sappington. No children w^ere born of 
the first marriage; two sons w^ere born of the sec- 
ond, and tw^o daughters and one son of the third- 
Jackson's wives w^ere aunts of General John Sap- 
pington Marmaduke. This fact acccmnts for Mar- 
mad uke's middle name. Why was not Marmaduke 
appointed by his distinguished uncle to the com- 
mand of the Missouri State Guards, instead ot 
General Price or General Doniphan? Evidently 
nepotism was not one of Jackson's weaknesses. 

In 1849 Jackson was in the State Senate. The 

war with Mexico had eventuated in our acquisi- 

ti(m of large tracts of Spanish territory. Con- 
20 



298 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

gressman Wilmotj of Pennsylvania, had intro- 
duced his famous Proviso, which sought to ex- 
clude slavery forever from all our newly acquired 
Western territory. The Wilmot Proviso did not 
prevail in Congress, but its presence there re- 
vealed and asserted the depth of the Northern 
sentiment against the institution of slavery. Sen- 
ator Jackson introduced a set of resolutions 
which were as defiant and in effect as far-reach- 
ing as was the Wilmot Proviso, against which 
they were directed. The Jackson Resolutions were 
adopted by the Missouri Legislature, and they 
remained on the statutes of the State until they 
were annulled by the upheaval of the Civil War. 
They retired Senator Benton to private life after 
an unbroken service of thirty years in the upper 
house of Congress. The Jackson Resolutions were 
passed in January, 1849. They averred that the 
Constitution of the United States was the result 
of a compromise between the conflicting interests 
of the States which formed it; that Congress had 
no power not delegated to it; that the right to 
prohibit slavery in any territory belonged to the 
people thereof, and not to the general Govern- 
ment; that the General Assembly regarded the 
conduct of the Northern people on the subject of 
slavery as releasing the slave-holding States from 
the Compromise of 1820; that '^iu the event of 
any act of Congress which conflicts w^tli the sen- 
timents herein expressed, Missouri will join the 



CLAIBORNE F. JACKSON. 299 

slave states against the encroachments of North- 
ern fanaticism." 

The State was soon in a foment Senator Ben- 
ton came on from the national capital, and in May, 
1849, delivered an address in the Hall of Kepre- 
sentatives at Jefferson City which set the State 
ablaze. He appealed from the action of the Leg- 
islature to the people. He maintained that the 
Jackson Resolutions were in conflict with the 
Missouri Compromise and also in conflict with a 
previous Missouri resolution wherein it was de- 
clared that the peace, permanence, and welfare of 
the National Union depended upon a strict adher- 
ence to the letter and spirit of that compromise, 
and which instructed senators and representa- 
tives to vote in accordance with its provisions. He 
denounced the Jackson Resolutions as entertain- 
ing a covert purpose of ultimate disruption of the 
Union. Benton was a great man and a gTeat 
statesman. He had been the political autocrat of 
Missouri politics for thirty years. He held that 
eminence by right of superior ability. But his 
sun was setting. He was in advance of the public 
thought of his State. He saw that slavery must 
be discontinued, and he rejoiced that it was so. 
He made a brilliant campaign all over the State, 
advocating principles which the war made good. 

Mr. B. F. Switzler, in his history of Missouri, 
says: '^It must not be inferred, however, that 
Colonel Benton prosecuted this canvass, able and 
distinguished as he was, without strong oppo- 



300 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

sition and resistance, for all over the State there 
were gentlemen of great ability and influence 
who controverted his position and denounced his 
course. Among the most distinguished and tal- 
ented of his opponents, gentlemen who ably ad- 
dressed the people in various places in condemna- 
tion of his views of j)ublic duty and policy, and 
his refusal to obey the instructions of the Legis- 
lature, we may mention James S. Green, David 
E. Atchison, James H. Birch, Louis V. Bogy, John 
B. Clark, Sr., Trusten Polk, Claiborne F. Jackson, 
Robert M. Stewart, Carty Wells, Robt. E. Acock, 
Wm. Claude Jones, and others — men whom it 
must be admitted had a strong hold upon the pub- 
lic confidence and wielded immense power over 
the State/' 

In 1860 Jackson was elected governor of the 
State. The Jackson Resolutions, passed eleven 
years before, were still a part of his political 
creed. The clouds of war were lowering around 
him when he took the oath of office. The princi- 
ples of the Jackson Resolutions were leading State 
after State to secede from the Union. The time 
had almost arrived when "Missouri will join the 
slave States against the encroacliments of North- 
ern fanaticism.'' In view of these old and settled 
convictions of the governor, the tone of his inaug- 
ural message is singularly dispassionate. Ex- 
tracts from the governor's message and from 
proclamations are published elsewhere in this 
volume. 



CLAIBORNE F. JACKSON. 301 

After the election of delegates to the State 
convention on February 18, 1861, when the people 
registered 80,000 majority against the known 
position of Governor Jackson, only a handful re- 
mained true to the executive. A few months 
later, after Blair's fiery patriotism and Lyon's 
martial impetuosity had done what Jackson fore- 
saw would be done and vainly tried to forestall, 
thousands of old friends renewed their loyalty to 
the governor, and from that time on stood with 
him. This renewed loyalty of old adherents was, 
by his own confession, the proudest period of 
Jackson's life. Incorruptible and faithful him- 
self in all things, he Avas touched by the candor 
of others. 

Not only did his old friends return; many of 
those Avho had heretofore opposed his policies now 
stood Avitli him. But there was a time when the 
State swung aAvay from him and he stood alone; 
he was calm and unyielding. The spectacle was 
heroic. 

Governor Jackson was the impersonation of the 
State rights doctrine in its last age. He believed 
in the sovereignty of the State, as did Calhoun, or 
Toombs, or Yancey, or Stephens, or Davis. But 
Jackson was preeminently a man of the State and 
not of the nation. His messages to the Legisla- 
ture, his treatment of Lincoln and of Lyon, and 
his execution of the military bill all proclaim his 
limits to State boundaries and his lofty concep- 
tion of State dignity. In "Missouri of To-day," 



302 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

issued by the Confederate Soldiers' Home of Mis- 
souri, occurs this farewell notice of Governor 
Jackson: "Heroic old governor! All unconscious 
that the tide of advancing civilization v^as forcing 
another great world change, and that an institu- 
tion older than history was about to disappear, in 
his rugged honesty he would have defied that 
world with arms. He had ^made his case' and 
lost his State.'- 

Jackson had served the State long, and he 
loved old Missouri. It must have wrung his heart 
to quit his capital. He fled before Lyon to Boon- 
ville; here he essayed to make a fight, but was 
forced to retreat southward. At Cowskin Prai- 
rie he relinquished to General Price all authority 
over the State Guards- He went to Memphis to 
induce General Polk and the Richmond authori- 
ties to send an army to assist him in reclaiming 
his State. But Missouri had not formally seceded. 
What claim had a neutral State on the Southern 
Confederacy? Yet he secured encouraging prom- 
ises. He returned and was with Price at the bat- 
tle of Lexington in September. After the surren- 
der of Mulligan, Governor Jackson issued from 
Lexington on September 26, 1861, a call conven- 
ing the Legislature in extra session at Neosho, 
October 21, 1861. Special messengers were sent 
out from Lexington to notify the members. Mean- 
time, the State convention, the "Gamble conven- 
tion," had declared in July that the office of gov- 
ernor was vacant Judge Gamble became pro- 



CLAIBORNE F. JACKSON, 303 

visional governor. According to Governor Jack- 
son's proclamation, the Legislature convened at 
Neosho, in Masonic Hall. It is said that only 
thirty-nine members of both houses were present 
The records have perished, save those that sur- 
vive in the memory of Colonel John T. Crisp, who 
was secretary of the Senate. An ordinance of 
secession was passed, and senators and represent- 
atives were elected to the Confederate Congress. 
Governor Jackson's work was about done. 
ITe returned once more to the borders of his be- 
loved State, a forlorn, desolate, and lonely figure, 
but yet as defiant as Caius Marius among the 
ruins of Carthage. He issued from New Madrid 
his last proclamation, wherein he declared the 
State of Missouri to be a free and independent 
republic. He recited the outrages and usurpa- 
tions of Federal military and civil authorities. 
He declared that "the State of Missouri as a sov 
ereign, free, and independent republic, has full 
power to levy war, conclude peace, establish com- 
merce, contract alliances, and do all other acts 
and ^things which independent States may of 
right do.'' 

He then repaired to Little Rock, Ark., where 
he died of cancer of the stomach, December 7, 
1862. After the war, his remains were exhumed 
and brought to Saline County, where they were 
reinterred in the family burying-ground of his 
father-in-law, Dr. John Sappington, near Arrow 
Kock. Our cut of Governor Jackson was taken 



304 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

from a tin-type belonging to John Pickett Jack- 
son, of Independence, Mo., nephew of the gov- 
ernor. The long, flowing hair is a wig. The sig- 
nature beneath the cut was taken from a bill of 
"Jackson money," or Missouri script, printed on 
a hand press at Neosho, Mo. The printing was on 
the b[^.ck of a blank report used by banks. 

Note — Mr. J. P. Jackson, of Indepeiideuce, Mo., believes 
his famous Uncle > Gov. Jackson, did not leave his Kentucky 
home without parental consent, inasmuch as he rode a fine 
horse, and soon after his arrival in Missouri a negro slave was 
sent to him from home. 





;See page 305.) 



1 



GENERAL JO. 0. SHELBY. 305 

Chapter XXTX. 

GENERAL JO. O. SHELBY. 

Missouri gave to tlie service of the Southern 
Coufederacy over 100,000 sokliers and to the serv- 
ice of the Union 109,000 soldiers— over 200,000 
soldiers on both sides. Among the greatest of 
these v^^as General Joseph Orville Shelby. Around 
his fame v^ill ever linger the aroma of the en- 
clianting and chivalric deeds of the Middle Ages. 
Shelby possessed every high quality ascribed to 
great captains in the histor^^ of ever^^ epoch. 

General Shelby was a strong man, a great 
man. Greatness and strength — these go together. 
He was strong in his convictions and tactful in 
enforcing them. He was magnetic, and so drew 
men to him; his intuitions were correct, his per- 
ceptions clear, his judgment reliable, and so men 
believed in him. He was a youthful general. His 
seniors misinterpreted his ardor, never dreaming 
that his impetuosity was born of genius, not of 
youthful exuberance. His activity was ceaseless; 
he was never weary, never sick; he was never in- 
capacitated by loss of sleep, resembling in this 
the first Napoleon. 

Shelby had no military education as had Mar- 
maduke, but he had something better, the gifts of 
Nature. Courage, enthusiasm, unfaltering 7nor' 
ale, devotion, dash — these were the implements 



306 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

which Shelb^^ skillfully used in winnin<? victories. 
General S. D. Jackman seems to have resembled 
Shelby very much in magnanimity, intrepidity, 
rapid movements, and quick perception in the 
moment of peril. Shelby's higher military powers 
are found only in the best generals. Shelby is re- 
garded by many of his men as in every way a 
superior general to Price. 

General Shelby might have had any office in 
Missouri. He could easily have been governor of 
the State. He was a diplomat and a man of fine 
address. He went to Washington, D. C, in 1893, 
and called on President Cleveland, who was very 
much impressed by his visitor. Soon after this 
visit, Shelby was appointed United States mar- 
shal for the Western District of Missouri. He was 
holding this office at the time of hi.^ death, in Feb- 
ruary, 1897. W^hile United States marshal he suc- 
cessfully protected some railroad property during 
a strike. Governor Stone addressed him a note 
inquiring why he so used his office. Shelby re- 
garded this inquiry as an unwarranted interfer- 
ence with the administration of his office, and 
made this reply: "I am acting under the orders 
of Uncle Sam; ask him." There was no question 
of General Shelby's loyalty to the United States 
Government. 

In "Five Famous Missourians" is recorded the 
following incident, which occurred after the re- 
treat from Westport in 1864: 

"The suffering of the army was great, and, as 



GENERAL JO. 0. SHELBY. 307 

one soldier has since put it, 'hard ridin^^ and hard 
fighting made a hard appetite, and they were no 
respecters of other people's pigs and poultry.' 
One day Shelby was standing on the White River, 
watering his horse. A gallant private was simi- 
larly engaged in a group of soldiers just below 
Shelby, while slung across his saddle was a sack 
carefully tied and bleeding at one end- 

" 'What have you got there?' Shelby demand- 
ed of him. 

" 'Been havin' my clothes washed,' answered 
the private, with a grin. 

" 'You 'd better get back to camp,' said Shelby, 
'or your clothes will bleed to death.' 

"The private was put into the guard-house, 
but when that night a quarter of fresh pork was 
found in the general's tent, Shelby, with a sense 
of humor, and after eying the pork hungrily, said: 
I have no idea where this came from; but go 
'round to the guard-house, orderly, and tell 'em to 
turn Gentry loose. There 's no use in shutting a 
man up for life for a little laundry.' " 

General Shelby was born at Lexington, Ky., 
December 12, 1830. The Shelby family was an 
aristocratic one, springing from the same patri- 
cian source as the Prestons, Bledsoes, Brecken- 
ridges, Marshals, Blairs, Bentons, Browns, Hamp- 
tons, etc. These families are all related. The 
Bentons and Blairs were closely related. Jo. O. 
Shelby, Gratz Brown, and Francis P. Blair were 
cousins and play-fellows. General Shelby and 



308 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

General John Morgan were in school together. 
General Shelby's ancestors were in the Revolu- 
tionary War; his grandfather was the first gov- 
ernor of Kentucky and an intimate friend of An- 
drew Jackson's, as was also the elder Blair. 

General Shelby was educated at Transylvania 
University in his native town and at college in 
Philadelphia. He was an orphan at five years of 
age, and came to Lafayette County, Missouri, at 
the age of nineteen. He married Miss Elizabeth 
Shelby, a very distant relative. 

Hemp-raising was a great industry in Missouri 
before the war, and young Shelby set up a rope 
factory on the river at Waverly, Mo. He was rap- 
idly acquiring wealth when the war broke out; he 
owned a great deal of land and many slaves. He 
was an active participant with other Missourians 
in the election at Lawrence in 1856. 

When the war cloud appeared on the horizon, 
and while yet no larger than a man's hand, Fran- 
cis P. Blair, one of the first men in the nation to 
discern the coming storm, sent for Shelby, who 
went by boat to St. Louis. The two cousins held 
an interview; Blair proposed to find military em- 
ployment for Shelby, who rejected the idea with 
disdain. He returned to Waverly, and in a few 
months w^as engaged in organizing a company of 
State Guards. Captain Shelby fought under the 
flag of Missouri at Wilson Creek, Lexing-ton, and 
Pea Eidge. After Pea Ridge, he joined the Con- 
federate Army and accompanied Price to Missis- 



GENERAL JO. 0. SHELBY. 309 

sippi, where he fought at Farmington, Oorinth, 
and Iiika. Returning to Missouri, he raised a reg- 
iment, and thence to the close of the war he was 
a conspicuous figure in nearly every battle, cam- 
Ijaign, and raid in the Western Department. 

At the close of the great war General Shelbj 
called around him several hundred veterans of 
the "Iron Brigade'^ and marched across Texas to 
Mexico. When they arrived at the Rio Grande 
the Cyonfederate flag was buried in the turbid 
waters. It was done with pathetic ceremony, 
July 4, 1865. At Piedras Negras the army was 
met by Governor Biesca, a leader of Juarez, who 
offered Shelby full command of the Liberal arm- 
ies of the States of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila. 
Shelby would have accepted, but his officers voted 
to sustain the Emperor Maximilian. At Ohapul- 
tepec Shelby offered his sword to the Emperor; it 
was declined. 

Shelby believed he could call to him an army 
of 40,000 veterans, late of the Confederate Army. 
Maximilian soon discovered that his empire was 
falling to pieces, and then he sent for Shelby, but 
it Avas too late. Shelby said he could not then 
raise a corporal's guard. Maximilian was shot at 
Queretaro, and from that day to this his queen 
has lived in a mad-house. The Emperor was kind 
to Shelby, and gave him and the exiles with him 
a grant of land for a colony, called Garlotta, after 
the Empress. The colonists returned one by one 
to their native land. For awhile General Shelby 



glO BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MTSSOUBIANS. 

was a freighter; later he had management of a 
line of ships plying between Vera Cruz and Cuba. 
In a few years General Shelby returned to Mis- 
souri. He took up his residence in Bates County. 

General Shelby lies buried in Forest Hill Cem- 
etery, Kansas City, Mo., among his comrades who 
fell at the battle of Westport. His wife, a daugh^ 
ter, and several sons survive him. 

A project is on foot to erect a monument at 
Shelby's grave, commemorative of his achieve- 
ments and the achievements of the seventy-five 
veterans who slumber with him. 



GENERAL JOHN S. MARMADUKE. gH 

Chnpfcr XXX, 

GENERAL JOHN S. MARMADUKE. 

Pie was the Bayard of Missouri, the soul of 
honor and generosity. ITis energy was regnlated 
and directed by the highest learning in the art of 
war. Ilis schoLarship in all branches of learning 
was surpassed by few men in the service of the 
Southern Confederacy. He was a modest man, 
and singularly free from vanity; no promotion 
ever came to him as the result of any parade of his 
personal claims. His equipose was superb, and 
his readiness to sacrifice himself for others in 
rank or file announced the greatness of his soul. 
He was the most unselfish of men. 

Few of the heroes who attained renown in the 
war period of our State were natives of Missouri. 
Marmaduke w^as one of the few. Senator Oockrell 
w^as another. These two men, whose lives are in- 
tegral parts of the State's history, were not only 
born in Missouri, but were educated in a famous 
pioneer Missouri school — Chapel Hill College, lo- 
cated on the western border of Lafayette County. 
The college building was destroyed by fire during 
the war, and the ruins are marked to this day by 
masses of unsightly rubble. 

John Sappington Marmaduke was born in 
Saline County, March 22, 1833. His father was 
a wealthy farmer and a prominent citizen. John 



312 BATTLES AND BIOORAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

was the second son; when eleven years of age he 
witnessed the inauguration of his father as gov- 
ernor of the State. His entire life was spent in 
the refining circles of high official life. Through- 
out life his advantages were of the best and his 
opportunities were never lightly tossed aside. In 
early life he had wealth and social position. His 
mind readily took the polish of education. He 
attended the Chapel Hill College and the Masonic 
College at Lexington. Afterwards he attended 
both Yale and Harvard; then he finished at West 
Point, from which he graduated in 1857. He was 
assigned to duty in the United States Army as 
second lieutenant in the Seventh Infantry. At 
this time and for several years previously the 
MoruKms of Utah were and had been in defiant 
attitude against the United States. General Al- 
bert Sidney Johnston led an expedition across the 
plains to Salt Lake City, and succeeded in reduc- 
ing Brigham Young and his polygamous follow- 
ers to subjection without bloodshed. Lieutenant 
-Marmaduke left West Point and went immedi- 
ately into Albert Sidney Johnston's Utah expedi- 
tion. It was a valuable experience for the young 
lieutenant. He formed a strong attachment for 
the commanding general, w^ho had been in the 
military service for thirty years. It is not strange, 
therefore, that Marmaduke went to Johnston in 
1861. He saw the great general fall in the bat- 
tle at Shiloh. The death of Johnston was a heavy 
loss to the Southern Confederacy;" Marmaduke 



. GENERAL JOHN 8. MARMADUKE. 313 

lost a personal friend and his first great teacher 
in the actual art of war. 

Early in 1861 Captain Nathaniel Lyon and 
Francis P. Blair organized a military campaign 
against the legal authorities of the State of Mis- 
souri. Such a movement was intolerable to those 
holding to the State rights theory of government. 
Marmaduke looked upon all military aggression 
against the State as outrageous, if not treasonable. 

Immediately after Lyon captured Camp Jack- 
son, and as a result of that military movement, 
Marmaduke resigned his commission in the Uni- 
ted States Army and offered his services to Gov- 
ernor elackson. The governor commissioned him 
to raise a regiment in the counties contiguous to 
JelTerson City, to be knoAvn as the First Regiment 
of Rifles. 

His regiment was in the process of formation, 
and had been partly organized, when the Price- 
Harney agreement suspended all military activ- 
ity. Marmaduke's troops and all the State Guards 
over the State were dispersed and sent to their 
respective homes. Shortly after this, Harney was 
relieved of command at St. Louis, and Lyon was 
appointed in his place. Tlie Price-Harney agree- 
ment was repudiated by the ncAV commander, who 
declared war against the State, and prepared to 
march against the State capital. This was all 
done so quickly that Marmaduke had no time to 
reassemble his parth^ organized regiment of rifles. 

The public property at Jefferson City was hastily 
21 



314 BATTLES AWD BIOGRAPHIES OF MlSSOURIANS. 

removed by boat to Booiiville, whither Marma 
duke repaired, in company Avith Governor Jack- 
son and General Price. Lyon occupied Jefferson 
City, and, leaving a garrison under Colonel Boer- 
stein, whose men had done the shooting at Camp 
Jackson, pushed on to Boonville, well knowing 
that not a moment could be safely lost. Mar ma- 
duke was placed in command of the gathering 
army at Boonville. He was the best educated 
soldier in the State. He clearly apprehended the 
folly of making a stand against Lyon, who was 
also an educated soldier and who commanded a 
well-organized and well-equipped army of some 
2,000 men. Governor Jackson ordered Marma- 
duke to tiglit, and so well did he obey the order 
that Lyon was re]nilsed at first. 

After the retreat from Boonville, Marmaduke 
left the State and reported to liis old commander, 
Albert Sidney Johnston, in Kentucky. If Marma- 
duke was offended at Jackson, no hint of it was 
ever dropped. Marmaduke was rapidly promoted 
under Johnston; lie was commissioned first lieu- 
tenant of cavalry, and soon after lieutenant-cqlo 
nel; then colonel, and w^as assigned to the com- 
mand of the Third Confederate Infantry. In the 
battle of Shiloh his regiment captured the first 
prisoners taken. In the second day's battle he 
was wounded, and after his recovery was given 
command of a brigade and recommended for pro- 
motion to brigadier general. 

After the battle of Corinth there was an exo- 
dus of Missourians to the Trans-Mississippi De- 



GENERAL JOHN 8. MABAIADUKE. 3I5 

partment. All through the West recruiting was 
in progress, and able commanders were in de- 
mand. The battles of Independence and Lone 
Jack had been fought. General Hindman was in 
command of all the region west of the Mississippi 
River. Hindman was a stern man and was con- 
centrating an army in the Boston Mountains of 
Arkansas. Thither Shelby came out of Missouri 
with a brigade. Hindman asked the Confederate 
Government at Richmond to send him General 
Marmaduke to take command of the cavalry west 
of the river. On October 22, 1862, Marmaduke 
arrived and took command of a division composed 
of Shelby's Missouri brigade and a brigade of Ar- 
kansans. The division was about 4,000 strong; 
Blunt came down with 7,000 Federal veterans, 
and was fought to a standstill at Cane Hill. The 
subsequent military movements of General Mar- 
maduke are recounted in appropriate chapters of 
this book. 

After the war General Marmaduke was editor 
of an agricultural paper in St. Louis. He was 
appointed and then elected railroad commissioner. 

In 1884 he was elected governor of the State, 
forty 3^ears after his father had occupied the same 
office. Before the expiration of his term, in 1887, 
he died at the executive mansion in Jefferson City. 

The General Assembly of the State has or- 
dered a monument of Missouri syenite granite to 
be erected over Marmaduke's grave at Jefferson 
City. The monument is to be erected during the 
summer of 1900, and it will be 20.5 feet in height. 



316 BATTLES AND BIOQRAPHIEB OF MIS80URIAN8. 

Chapter XXXI. 

BLEDSOE, OF MISSOURI. 
By Captain Jo. A. Wilson. 

Colonel Hiram Miller Bledsoe (^'Old Hi Bled 
soe'^), the hero and ideal of Missourians, died at 
his home, Pleasant Hill, Cass County, Mo., Febru- 
ary 7, 1899, aged 73 years. Born in Kentucky, he 
came to Missouri when young, and settled near 
Lexington, where he was early identified with 
political and other important events. He served 
in the Mexican War with Doniphan's famous cav- 
alry, whose prodigious marches and dashing com- 
bats adorn the brightest pages of American his- 
tory. In 185G, being, like most of our prosperous 
farmers in the river counties, a slave-holder, he 
was deeply interested in the struggle over the 
fate of Kansas. In those stirring scenes prelimi- 
nary to the irrepressible conflict he took an active 
part, leading a company from his county to the 
seat of war on the plains of Kansas. In 1861, 
when Federal troops occupied St. Louis, and Gov- 
ernor Claiborne F. Jackson called for volunteers 
and militia to guard the State capitol, Bledsoe, 
with thirteen men, took passage on a steamboat 
for the scene. On the boat he got three recruits, 
and, picking up others along the river, organized 
a company of mounted rifles of some sixty men at 
Jefferson City. They drew Mississippi rifles from 



BLEDSOE, OF MISSOURI. 3I7 

the 8tate, and some had pistols and knives. He 
set to work to drill and discipline his men, but 
they had no horses. 

At this time Governor Jackson and General 
Sterling Price, commanding the Missouri militia, 
returned from St. Louis, after concluding a kind 
of .truce with General Harney, who was at the 
head of the Union forces. In this matter our offi- 
cers overreached the Union leaders, and made 
terms very favorable to the Secession cause. But 
Jefferson City was then filled with Secessionists, 
nascent warriors ready for battle, and hearing 
that the fight was off, tJiey conceived the idea that 
General Price had betrayed them and the cause. 
They swarmed about the capitol by thousands, 
with cries of "Traitor!'^ "Sold out!" "Hang him!" 
etc. General Price, who never seemed to have 
any idea of personal danger, was facing the mob 
almost alone, when Bledsoe, hearing the tumult, 
came down at double-quick, and forming his com- 
pany, held the crowd at bay while Price made 
them a red-hot speech. This same crowd after- 
wards formed a part of the army which followc^d 
"Old Pap" Price to victory, to defeat, and to death. 

From Jefferson City our "army" came to Lex- 
ington, where we found three pieces of artillery: 
a bronze 9-pounder captured by Missourians in 
Mexico, an iron 6-pounder cast in Lexington, 
and a brass 6-pounder taken from the arsenal at 
Liberty, Missouri. The 9-pounder, "Old Sacra- 
mento," was bored out and converted into a 12- 



318 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880VRIANS. 

pounder howitzer. The chase was turned off 
smooth, thus reducing the thickness of the metal, 
which gave the piece a peculiar sound when fired, 
and soon it became familiar to "Rebs" and "Feds" 
alike. The gun had been lying around in Lexing- 
ton for years, used for Fourth of July salutes, etc. 
It is said that the Mexicans used a quantity of §il- 
ver in casting it. Bledsoe was with some diffi- 
culty persuaded to take temporary charge of these 
guns, and thus came into being one of the most 
famous and effective batteries of the war. His 
men were sworn in for the war; some said for life. 
At Dug Springs, Oarthage, Drywood, Oak Hill, 
Lexington, Sugar Oreek, and Elk Horn, that three- 
gun battery was an object of special interest to 
the enemy, who made many attempts to capture 
or silence it. Except when a supply was cap- 
tured, their ammunition was home-made. Oart- 
ridge-bags were sewed, canisters cut, and fixed 
ammunition prepared by men and officers. Who- 
ever had the skill and could get the tools did hie 
share. In lieu of grape-shot, canisters were filled 
with iron slugs, trace-chains — anything a country 
blacksmith shop could supply. This was called 
"scrap-shot.'^ Some of the boys had heard of 
shrapnel, and thought it was the same. Most of 
the shells and solid shot were spoils of battle, 
nearly every engagement furnished a supply for 
the next. I have seen them prime with a powder- 
horn and fire with a heated nail-rod or a live coal. 
And they shot to kill. 



BLEDSOE, OF MISSOURI. Sjg 

Mustered into the Confederate service at Mem- 
phis in March, 1862, Bledsoe received four new 
guns with caissons and equipment. He served 
under Beauregard at Corinth, and was mentioned 
in general orders for distinguished services in cov- 
ering the retreat. Under Bragg it was made a 
six-gun battery, but again reduced to four, as 
were all others. At luka, Corinth, Chickamauga, 
Chattanooga, and all through that long series of 
bloody engagements, night vigils, heart-breaking 
work in the trenches, and toilsome "marching 
through Georgia,'' Bledsoe Avas ever at the post 
of danger. Prompt, energetic, full of resource, 
every general under whom he served placed im- 
plicit reliance on his skill, fortitude, and judg- 
ment to execute any plan or to hold any post, if 
within the limits of human power. On Hood's 
disastrous campaign the battery suffered severely 
at Altoona, Nashville, and Franklin, but was able 
to do good service with Forrest's Cavalry in cov- 
ering the retreat. To follow their career in detail 
would make this article too long. A history of 
Bledsoe's battery would be a history of the war, 
at least so far as the armies of Tennessee and Mis- 
sissippi are concerned, to say nothing of earlier 
work in Missouri and Arkansas. 

Some late writers and talkers seem proud of 
representing Bledsoe as an ignorant rough-and- 
tumble fighter. He was not that. A born soldier 
he was, but, trained under skilled officers, he read 
history and studied war as a science. In theoret- 



320 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

ical instruction commissioned and non-commis- 
sioned officers of the Army of Tennessee had to 
be proficient. We studied the same tactics the 
Federals did, and I have seen Bledsoe and his lieu- 
tenants conning in their books the lessons in 
which daily practice on drill-ground and battle- 
field made them all but perfect. An ignorant man 
could not have drilled a battery as he did, nor 
made the men so proficient as to fire six effective 
shots a minute from each piece, as they did. He 
sometimes had a listless air in camp, and was 
prone to relax discipline or leave its details to 
subalterns, but in action he was alert and ener- 
getic always. Ilis tall figure, rather ungainly on 
foot, made a splendid appearance on horseback, 
and in his voice of command there was no uncer- 
tain sound. Trailing along in column of pieces 
with the skirmish line at Elk Horn, defending 
his cotton-bale breastworks at Jackson, ch-irgino; 
with the infantry, or holding a sodden mud fort 
at Atlanta, he was always the same — the self- 
confident, skillful master of his work. 

His company — composed of boys from his old 
home, toughs from the cities, polished gentle- 
men, scholars, farmers, merchants, boatmen, bull- 
whackers, from north, south, east, west — required 
firm, judicious management. But Bledsoe was 
equal to the task. He could be kind and sociable, 
yet maintain liis authority, and all his men were 
attached to him. In the presence of his superior 
officers he was dignified and courteous, without 



BLEDSOE, OF MISSOURI. 321 

servility. In his society you felt the presence of 
a geutleman^ — a gentle man. 

Bledsoe was a colonel in the State Guards, 
coniniaudiug the artillery of Price's army. He 
Avas a captain in the Confederate service. He sur- 
rendered at Hamburg, S. C, May 1, 1865. The bat- 
tery then consisted of four 12-pounder Napoleon 
guns. After the war he served one term in the 
State Senate, and could have had almost any 
office in the gift of his people, but he loved a quiet 
life on his farm, where his home w<\s the favorite 
rendezvous of his old soldiers and other friends; 
and he never turned away even the idle and shift- 
less, who sometimes imposed on him. He had 
many warm friends among the Union veterans, 
and often discussed old times with them. He was 
appointed by Governor Stone and served as com- 
missioner to locate the positions of the different 
commands at Chickamauga National Park. 

The writer belonged to another battery, but 
sometimes had the honor of being in action at 
Bledsoe's side. His very presence seemed to be an 
incentive to good conduct under fire. — Confederate 
Veteran. 



322 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

Chapter XXXII, 

COLONEL UPTON HAYS. 

He was a man, take him for all in all, 
I shall not look upon his like again. 

— Shakespeare. 

The war brought few losses more sincerely 
mourned than the loss of Colonel Upton Hays. 
He was a born leader of men and a brilliant mili- 
tary career was opening before him when, after 
the battle of Lone Jack, he was killed by a Fed- 
eral cavalryman near Newtonia, Mo. 

Upton Hays was the youngest of a family of 
thirteen children, five boys and eight girls. At 
the sunset of the nineteenth century, these are all 
dead except the oldest, Amazon Hays, who lives 
with his wife and daughter, Mrs. Booth, at West- 
port, and Linville Hays, who lives at the old Hays 
homestead two miles south of Westport. These 
brothers are very old and infirm, the former being 
nearly 80 years of age. 

Upton Hays was born in Callaway County, 
Mo., March 29, 1832. His father was Boone Hays, 
grandson of the famous pioneer, Daniel Boone. 

While Upton was still a small boy, the family 
moved to Jackson County and settled near West- 
port. This was in 1837. The elder son, Amazon, 
then 18 years of age, spent that summer in Inde- 
pendence, Mo., and worked in the plow factory 



COLONEL UPTON HAYS. 323 

owned by Robert Weston (whose funeral occurred 
to-day, November 28, 1899). 

In 1849 Boone Hays, accompanied by his eld- 
est and youngest sons, went "across the plains'* 
to California, where he died the following year. 
Meantime, Amazon had returned to Missouri and 
was driving a band of 500 cattle through to Cali- 
fornia. The two boys returned to Westport, then 
on the western rim of civilization and the start- 
ing-point for travelers across the plains. After 
the war with Mexico, a large freighting business 
sprang up between points on the Missouri River 
and Santa F^, New Mexico, conducted overland 
by wagon-trains. 

After Amazon and Upton Hays returned to 
Westport, it was arranged for Upton to enter 
school. He attended school one week. A Mexi- 
can Avho had left Westport with a wagon-train 
for Santa F^ made such slow progress that he 
returned and induced the youthful Upton to go 
with him as captain of the train. This suited the 
adventurous school-boy far better than the school- 
room, and he conducted the Mexican's train to its 
destination safely and in good time. This trip 
demonstrated that Upton Hays, boy as he was, 
possessed marked executive ability. ^* 

The Government sent out annually long wagon- 
trains of supplies under contractors. These con- 
tractors usually made a great deal of money, but 
a great deal of money had to be first invested in 
animals, wagons, hire of men, etc. Amazon and 



324 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

Upton Hays formed a company with Henry C. 
Chiles and Mr. Hunter, each of the four putting 
in 125,000. The company secured large Govern- 
ment contracts, and equipped 101 wagons and 
sent them out under the management of the com- 
pany. This train was insufficient, and so subcon- 
tractors were employed. One of Jennison's first 
exploits was the capture of a train belonging to 
Upton Hays. Soon after this, Jennison burned 
Upton Hays' house, a very fine, new building; cat- 
tle, horses, carriages, and negroes were carried 
off. Then Upton Hays organized a company to 
resist these predatory raids. The company soon 
had work to do. Jennison came down again, plun- 
dering and burning. At one time sixteen burn- 
ing farm-houses could be seen from the Hays' 
homestead. Jennison's men came on to the home 
of Sam Hays, brother of Upton. While they were 
ransacking the house, Upton Hays arrived sud- 
denly with his company. His men fired upon tjie 
marauders before they were ordered to do so, and 
Sam Hays, a prisoner in his own house, fell badly 
wounded by his own friends and rescuers. Quite 
a battle ensued. The house was punctured and 
variously marked by bullets. The bullet-holes 
are there to this day and are shown with great 
interest by Mr. and Mrs. Asbury. Mrs. Asbury 
is a daughter of Sam Hays. She remembers the 
battle distinctly, though but a child at the time. 
Jennison retreated toward Kansas. Afterwards 
he came upon Hays' company encamped at White 



COLONEL UPTON HATS. 325 

Oak, on the Big Blue Kiver. A severe battle was 
fought on this occasion. Jennison retreated to 
Kansas again, leaving a number of his men dead 
on the field. Hays lost one man, Private* Wells. 
Upton Hays was very fond of hunting, and he 
kept a large pack of dogs. On his last visit home, 
he arrived stealthily after dark. His favorite dog 
made a disturbance, and he slew the animal with 
his saber. That night he kissed his wife and chil- 
dren, one a new-born babe, good-bye — as it proved, 
forever. He went to the recruiting camp near 
Lee's Summit, and a few days later the battle of 
Independence was fought. In this battle Colonel 
Hughes was killed and Colonel Thompson was 
wounded. Colonel Hays then took command. He 
led five different assaults against the rock fence 
occupied by the Federals. Elsewhere is givei^an 
account of his gallantry at the battle of Lone 
Jack, and an account of his death. After the war, 
his body was taken to Westport. 



326 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

Chapter XXXIII, 

OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 

Major John N. Edwards. 

His life was short, but full — more full of works than days. 
This powerful and indefatigable worker, this philosopher, this 
poet, this genius has lived among us that life of storm, strug- 
gle, quarrel, and conflict common in all ages to all great men. 
— Hugo, at the <jrave of Balzac. 

The warrior and the poet — these are the great- 
est of earth. This man was both warrior and 
poet; his prose is poetic. lie loved the heroic as 
he loved honor. Shelby was his ideal man and 
soldier. 

Edwards added much to history and much to 
American literature. There is a smooth flow of 
language, a rhythmic, lilting movement, an idyllic 
tone remarkable in all his writings. Sometimes 
his imagination is riotous, but his sentences are 
always graceful. 

Edwards was more than a fine writer; he was 
also a soldier and a hero; who shall say the sol- 
dier and hero is not better always than the poet? 
He fought side by side with the great Shelby. He 
was often wounded; on one field he lay all night, 
bleeding from a wound made by a jagged piece of 
shell. He lost more horses shot under him in bat- 
tle than any other man in Shelby's brigade. His 
personal courage was equal to Shelby's. He was 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 327 

as grand on the field as he was enchanting in the 
editor's sanctum. But you will find no hint of 
personal adventure in his writings. He was a 
modest man and a lovable man. His affection 
was a deep, perennial well. Mark how he loved 
Dr. Morrison Munford. 

In 1862 Shelby and Edwards discovered each 
other. Shelby had returned from Corinth to La- 
fayette County. He issued an eloquent appeal for 
recruits. He used this sentence: ''We missed you 
in Mississippi, after Shiloh's bloody sunset embers 
died from the Southern sky." Edwards opens one 
of his chapters in "Shelby and His Men" with this 
sentence: "Shiloh's bloody sunset ember.^ had not 
faded from the Southern sky when an appeal 
came to the army near Van Buren asking for aid 
at Corinth." If Edw^ards did not write both of 
these, then it were as easy to prove that Shelby 
wrote Edwards as to prove that Bacon w^rote 
Shakespeare. 

John Newsman Edwards was born in Virginia, 
January 4, 1838. He came to Missouri in 1855, 
and at the beginning of the war was editing a 
newspaper at Lexington, Mo. In 1862 he joined 
Shelby's command at Waverly, Mo., and was ap- 
pointed brigade adjutant with the rank of major. 
When Shelby was promoted to the command of 
a division, EdAvards took the rank as colonel. 
After the close of the war Edwards went with 
Shelb}^ to Mexico, where he was the special friend 
of Maximilian and his queen, Carlotta. While in 



328 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

Mexico he edited the Mexican Times, half in En- 
glish and half in Spanish. Keturning to Missouri, 
he and Colonel John C. Moore established the 
Kansas City Times. In 1871 he was married to 
Mary Virginia Plattenburg, of Dover, Mo. He 
died in 1889. 

Dr. Calch Winfrey. 

At the beginning of the war Dr. Winfrey was 
a merchant and practicing physician at Lone 
Jack. Geo. B. Webb, who had served with Doni- 
phan in Mexico, was a prominent citizen in the 
same neighborhood. Webb and W^infrey were 
David and Jonathan over again. In the summer 
of 1862 these two men called their mutual friends 
together and organized them into a Confederate 
company. Dr. Winfrey was elected captain and 
Webb lieutenant. In a few days the company 
had its baptism of fire at the battle of Lone Jack. 
After the fight Dr. Winfrey was made surgeon of 
the Second (Hays') Regiment, with the rank of 
major. Lieutenant Webb became captain and 
served in this capacity until he fell mortally 
wounded at the battle of Byrum's Ford, near 
Westport, in 1864. As Captain Webb languished 
with his death wound on the field, Dr. Winfrey 
took him up and cared for him for two weeks until 
he died, then buried him beside his comrades. The 
body was afterwards reinterred at Forest Hill 
Cemetery. 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 329 

Dr. Caleb Winfrey was born December 8, 1823, 
in Surry County, North Carolina. At the age of 
nineteen he came west and located near Chapel 
Hill, famous for its college. Young Winfrey 
taught school for awhile, and then attended the 
Medical Department of the St. Louis University, 
from which he graduated in 1847. In June of that 
year he married Miss Elizabeth Shore and settled 
at Lone Jack for the practice of his profession. In 
1861 he had a lucrative practice, owned a large 
farm, and was proprietor of a drug and general 
store at Lone Jack. He enlisted as surgeon in the 
State Guards, and accompanied Colonel Gideon 
W. Thompson to Cowskin Prairie. At the battle 
of Wilson Creek his skill as a surgeon was inval- 
uable, lie was present at the battle of Lexing- 
ton. He spent a part of the winter of 1862 with 
his family at Lone Jack — a time full of danger 
.and narrow escapes. In the spring he and Webb 
organized Company C, which fought its first bat- 
tle at Lone Jack. At the beginning of the battle 
Dr. Winfrey found the Feilerals entrenched in his 
store and in his dwelling adjoining. He led his 
company against them, but was repulsed in a 
bloody conflict. After falling back, he rallied his 
men and in a second charge dislodged the enemy 
and held the buildings to the end of the fight. 

After the battle of Lone Jack, Dr. Winfrey 

went south with Hays' command. He was senior 

surgeon of Shelby's brigade, and was present at 

the battles of Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, and New- 
22 



330 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIAN8. 

tonia. He was at the second battle of Springfield 
(January 8, 1863). He remained here after the 
Confederates withdrew, in char^^e of the hospital 
until the wounded were able to travel, when he 
accompanied them as prisoners of war to City 
Point, Virginia, where they w^ere exchanged. 

From City Point he set out to rejoin his com- 
mand, and on his way arrived at Vicksburg just 
before the beginning of the siege. He saw the 
battles of Champion Hill and Big Black, was in 
Vicksburg during the siege, and remained there 
until the place capitulated. He met and con- 
versed with General Grant. The return trip 
across the Mississippi Eiver was a dangerous one, 
but he arrived safe at Price's army, in camp at 
Camden. He was at the principal battles in the 
operations against Steel, and in the autumn of 
1864 came with the command on Price's great 
raid. 

The wounded at the battle of Westport re- 
quired many surgeons and Dr. Winfrey, at the 
request of General Price, remained to care for his 
soldiers and dying comrades. He arrived at St. 
Louis on his way back to the army, when news 
came that Lee had surrendered. 

After the war. Dr. Winfrey enjoyed a very 
large practice for years at Pleasant Hill, Mo. In 
1879 he moved to Kansas City, where he still lives. 



OTHER BiOGRAPHIES. 331 

Judge R. L. Yeager. 

R L. Yeager, whose professional life has been 
spent in Kansas City, was born in Kentucky, Aug- 
ust 26, 1843. His parents died when he was but 
nine years of age, and he was brought to Missouri, 
where he grew to manhood on a farm in Marion 
County. He entered St. Paul Episcopal College 
at Palmyra, from which he graduated in 1861, as 
the war clouds were lowering over our unhappy 
country. The young graduate hastened from Com- 
mencement to join Kneisley's battery, in which he 
served for a year and a half, when he was trans- 
ferred to PrindalFs battalion of sharpshooters, in 
Parsons' division of Price's corps. 

During the summer of 1861 the turmoil and 
distress in northeastern Missouri was not exceed- 
ed in any other part of the State. General Harris 
organized his army of State Guards under great 
difficulties and hardships. The youthful Yeager 
enlisted at Palmyra under Captain Owens. His 
ardent spirit was soon gratified with stirring war 
experiences. He, was in, the hand-to-hand fight 
against an Illinois command posted at Kirksville; 
he was in the affairs at Shelbina, Alexandria, and 
other places; he took conspicuous part in all the 
battles and skirmishes which occurred in north- 
eastern Missouri that summer. He was in Colonel 
Green's regiment which marched under General 
Harris to join Price in front of Lexington in Sep- 
tember. The college boy assisted in the capture 



332 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

of Mulligan, and was in the battle of Pea Ridoe. 
He went across the Mississippi Iliver, and after 
the battle of Corinth returned west with the State 
Guards under General Parsons. He was in the 
battles of Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, and Helena. 

In the operations against Banks and Steele 
he was constantly with his battalion. He surren- 
dered at Shreveport. After the war, he went to 
Texas and read law for one year with ex-Go vemor 
Throckmorton. Afterwards he graduated from 
the law school at Louisville, K}^ He then came 
to Kansas City, where he entered upon a success- 
ful practice of his profession. He was elected 
prosecuting attorney of Jackson County in 1872, 
and again in 1874. He is director of the First Na- 
tional Bank and president of the Safety Building 
and Loan Association. He has served for years as 
school director. 

Professor J. M. Greenwood says of Judge Yea- 
ger: "The ambition of his life has been to make 
the public schools the crowning glory of Kansas 
City. To this end he has worked night and day. 
His qualities of mind and heart are of that ster- 
ling character which shirks at no responsibility 
and never hesitates in the performance of a duty.'' 

He was married in 1870 to Miss Leonora 
Forbis, of Independence, Mo. They have five 
children. 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 333 

Major BlaJce L. Woodson. 

In the United States, as elsewhere, the coun- 
try boy has many drawbacks in early life. He 
rarely achieves social success in later life, but in 
physique, will-power, and darini; he is more than 
peer to his city-bred brothers. He is a temperate, 
hard-working, and successful business man. 

To this class belongs Blake L. Woodson. He 
was born and reared on a farm in old Virginia; 
the second son of William Woodson and Martha 
Gilbert Haythe. In his seventh year he lost his 
father. 

As he grew up, the ambition to accoimplish 
something in life began soon to stir in the boy's 
heart. He became a great reader and student. 
The pine knot and tallow dip did duty for light; 
but a sound mind in a sound body absorbed the 
thought. There are to-day few better read men 
in Missouri. 

Of English stock, Puritan bred, dark hair, 
deeply set gray eyes, prominent nose, and strong 
features, he looks the typical American of old 
colonial type. Men think kindly thoughts and 
love charity until these virtues show in their faces. 
They show in his. 

He graduated from Lynchburg College in 1858, 
with the degree of A.B. Then a law course at the 
University of Virginia and at the law school of 
John W. Brooksborough at Lexington. This was 
his equipment in his chosen profession, the law. 



834^^^^^^'^ ^^^ BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOUBIANS. 

He entered the Confederate Army as first lieu- 
tenant in May, 1861, and was disbanded as major 
and brevet lieutenant-colonel, in May, 1865. He 
came to Missouri in 1871, and has ever since lived 
in Kansas City. Twice married, he has three liv- 
ing children, by his second wife, Nora Delany — 
viz., Constance, Mary Blake, and Nora G. 

As a lawyer he is courteous, honest, and fair, 
and a thorough master, especially of the criminal 
law, ancient and modern. As a citizen, he is an 
intense lover of his country, of his Government, 
and of his fellow-man; a man not afraid to speak 
out for God and the right; a man who loves jus- 
tice and hates sham and fraud; a man free from 
hypocrisy in act, conduct, and speech. 

He was born May 25, 1835, and when the mus- 
ter comes to the old soldier and citizen, the coun- 
try boy may feel that he has achieved something 
in life. 

Henry Y. P. Knhrich. 

Our portrait of Captain Kabrick shows him in 
the uniform of a Confederate soldier at the close 
of the war. He entered the service August 14, 
1862, and two days later was given his baptism 
of fire at the battle of Lone Jack. He belonged 
to Company C, 2d Missouri Cavalry, Marmaduke's 
Division. There was no truer soldier and there 
is no truer friend than Henry Kabrick. He is 
proud of his war record, as every real soldier 
should be. He was in the battles at Lone Jack, 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 335 

Newtonia, Cape Girardeau, Osage Elver, Lexing- 
ton, Westport, Mine Creek, and all the battles 
and skirmishes of his command. He was still a 
young man when the war closed and he returned 
to his home near Oak Grove, Mo., where he has 
resided ever since, following the vocations of 
farmer and carpenter. He is one of the substan- 
tial citizens of the county, and is captain of Up. 
Hays Camp, United Confederate Veterans, at Oak 
Grove. 

Captain Kabrick has a son, Lee Kabrick, serv- 
ing in the United States Army in the Philippine 
Islands. 

Francis Marion Webh. 

F. M. Webb, of Jackson County, Mo., was a 
mere boy when he joined the Army. On January 
1, 1863, he attached himself to Company C, 2d 
Missouri Cavalry, Shelby's Division, and from 
that time until he surrendered at Shreveport, 
June 14, 1805, he never left the field nor faltered 
in support of the Southern cause. He delights in 
recounting his adventures. His first battle was at 
Springfield, Mo., January 8, 1863. He fought at 
the battles of Cape Girardeau, Little Rock, Mark's 
Mills, and many others, including the battles 
and heavy skirmishes of Price's raid in 1864. He 
was with his command in front for five weeks, 
harassing the rear of Steele's army as it eagerly 
retreated from Little Eock to connect with Banks 
at Shreveport, the only refuge from annihilation. 



336 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI880URIAN8. 

Although a dashing young soldier, ready for raid, 
or fight, or frolic, he settled down after the sur- 
render to the quietude of a happy domestic life, 
and is the father of a large family of bright boys 
and girls, ten in all. He is a successful farmer 
near Oak Grove, Mo. 

Captain Wm. H. Gregg. 

Captain Wm. H. Gregg, of Kansas City, was 
sworn into the State Guards June 1, 1861, and 
marched at once for rendezvous at Rock Creek 
school-house, near Independence, Mo., where he 
saw the killing of Colonel Ilalloway by his own 
men. Gregg's company, of which he was captain, 
was attached to Colonel Rosser's regiment, Rain's 
division. At the expiration of the term for which 
Captain Gregg enlisted, he returned home on ac- 
count of sickness. Before regaining health he was 
forced to seek a place of safety. The avenues to 
Price's army were carefully guarded, and he cast 
his lot with Quantrell. Captain Gregg %recounts 
sixt^^-five battles and skirmishes in which he took 
part, and he is able to give the names of the places 
and the dates. Captain Gregg was never known 
to decline an opportunity to engage in a battle. 
He was a dashing, fearless, enterprising soldier. 
He joined Quantrell as a private, and was success- 
ively promoted, by election, to first sergeant and 
third lieutenant, but often he commanded a com- 
pany. He joined Shelby's brigade December 25, 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 337 

1863, at noon, as first lieutenant, and at one 
o'clock the same day he was in command of Com- 
pany I, Shank's regiment. 

Lieutenant Hopkins Hardin. 

Hopkins Hardin was a Confederate soldier 
and served in the 19th Virginia, Pickett's Divis- 
ion. He was lieutenant of Company C. 

Lieutenant Hardin entered the Army in April, 
1861, at the age of 23, enlisting at Scottville, Al- 
bemarle County, Virginia. He fought in all the 
principal battles and skirmishes of his division, 
taking part in such actions as those at Bull Kun, 
first and second battles, Williamsburg, Freder- 
icksburg, Boonsborough, and, last of all, he was 
in that great decisive battle which determined 
the fate of the Southern Confederacy, the battle 
of Gettysburg. In this battle he was wounded 
three times. He had been wounded previously at 
both Fredericksburg and Boonsborough. There 
was no question as to his bravery, his ardor, his 
enthusiasm in battle. Young Hardin was a typ- 
ical Virginia soldier. 

At Gettysburg he was unfortunately captured, 
after an active service of over three years. From 
that time until his release at Ft Delaware in 
June, 1865, nearly two years, he suffered the hard- 
ships of a prisoner of war. Some of his privations 
and sufferings wei^ unusual. He saw the inside 
of the Federal prisons at Ft. McHenry, Point 
Lookout, Ft. Delaware, Morris Island, and Ft, 



338 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIAN8. 

Pulaski. At the latter place the prisoners were 
fed on bread and pickles for forty-nine days in re- 
taliation for the treatment of Federal prisonerg 
at Andersonville. Many died and few were able 
to walk at the end of the time. Lieutenant Har- 
din was one of the 600 Rebel prisoners who were 
placed outside the Federal breastworks at^ Mor- 
ris Island, where for weeks they were exposed to 
the shot and shell of their friends who were bom- 
barding the place. 

Lieutenant Hardin's life was saved once by a 
note-book. It arrested the flight of a Minie ball 
speeding straight for his heart. A jagged hole 
was torn through a number of the leaves. The 
bullet stopped when it reached an old yellow 
paper, which it cracked in four parts without 
penetrating. The yellow paper was a document 
authorizing Hopkins Hardin to exhort in the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Lieutenant Hardin has long been a resident of 
Missouri, and he has been a successful farmer and 
business man. He resides with his family in Inde- 
pendence, Mo. 

Colonel John B. Stone. 

John Bestor Stone, who served the people of 
Jackson County, Missouri, as presiding judge of 
the county court from 1894 to 1898, was born in 
Perry County, Alabama, on D^ember 5, 1842. He 
grew up and was educated in the South. He was 
but 19 years of age when the war broke out, but 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 339 

with the fiery impetuosity of youth he enlisted as 
soldier in the Southern Arni}^, joining Company 
A, 4th Alabama Infantry. At the second battle of 
Manassas he was severely wounded, having his 
thigh broken. Undaunted, he rejoined his com- 
mand when able to march. At Chickamauga he 
was again wounded. But his ardor was unabated. 
In the battle of the Wilderness he was wounded 
the third time, and in the seven days' fight near 
Richmond he was wounded the fourth time. He 
was captured at Ft, Blakely and made a prisoner 
of war on Ship Island, where he was held until 
peace was made. He was second lieutenant of his 
company, and participated in some of the most 
hotly contested engagements of the war. 

After the war, he returned to his old home at 
Selma, Ala., and became a merchant Afterward 
he went to a different part of the State and en- 
gaged in farming. He went to Dallas, Texas, and 
erected many large buildings there, including the 
capitol building, which he gave to the State ten 
years free of charge. He closed out his real estate 
business at Dallas and went to Colorado, where 
he engaged in mining. He returned to Texas and 
remained there until 1885, when he moved to Kan- 
sas City and engaged in the real-estate business 
for several years. 

Judge Stone has been a successful man. His 
affairs have always prospered on account of his 
strict business methods. He is a man of sterling 
honesty and strong convictions. 



340 BATTLES AND BIOaRAPHIES OF MI880UBIANS. 

Joseph M. Lowe, 

Our great Civil War was fought generally by 
young men. Witnesses of the war often remarked 
that a sturdy, enterprising, ambitious boy made 
the best possible soldier. If this was true, then 
Joseph M. Lowe, the Kentucky soldier boy, may 
be regarded as a hero. He enlisted at the age of 
sixteen in the Confederate Army under General 
Humphrey Marshall, in Colonel Giltner's regi- 
ment, Captain Thos. E. Moore's company. On ac- 
count of his youthfulness, he was made a courier, 
and, being an active youth and of strong determi- 
nation, he performed his duties in a highly satis- 
factory manner. He once carried an important 
dispatch from Richmond to Cumberland Gap. 
The dispatch was written on tissue paper and was 
concealed in the finger of his glove. In all his 
adventures, many of them thrilling, he was never 
captured. When in the enemy's lines, he con- 
ducted himself with such discretion as to attract 
no special notice. 

In 1868 young Lowe left his native State and 
came to Missouri. Having by this time acquired, 
by his own efforts, a good education, and having 
prepared himself for the practice of law, he lo- 
cated at Plattsburg, Clinton County, Mo., for the 
practice of his profession. Two years after arriv- 
ing at Plattsburg he was nominated for prosecut- 
ing attorney by the Democratic party. The Peo- 
ple's party also nominated him; then the Repub- 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 341 

lican party nominated him. He therefore received 
at the general election every vote in the county. 
He held the office of prosecuting attorney for four 
consecutive terms, the only office he ever held or 
ever aspired to hold until the citizens of Kansas 
Oity issued a call for him to become a candidate 
for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant- 
governor. Mr. Lowe's success as prosecuting 
attorney caused his party to offer him the Demo- 
cratic nomination for Congress, which he declined. 

In 1883 Mr. Lowe moved to Kansas City, 
where he practiced his profession for several 
years. In recent years he has spent most of his 
time in looking after his large property interests. 
Mr. Lowe belongs to a prominent American fam- 
ily. Seth Lowe, of New York, and ex-Governor 
Lowe, of Maryland, are kinsmen of his. Mr. Lowe 
was married at Plattsburg to Miss Mary E. Mc- 
Williams, daughter of Dr. John Q. A. McWill- 
iams, formerly of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Lowe 
have two children, now grown : John Rodger Lowe 
and Florence Marian Lowe. 

Wm. Lowe is a man of marked ability, a pro- 
found thinker, and a distinguished orator. His 
public addresses are not delivered with the view 
of spectacular or picturesque effects, but rather 
with the view of adding something permanent to 
American literature and American statesmanship. 



342 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MtSSOURIANS. 

Colonel John T. Hughes. 

There fell at the battle of Independence a man 
who, if he had lived, would have made his impress 
upon the times ; a brave, masterful man, scholarly 
and ambitious — Colonel John T. Hughes. Colonel 
Hughes w^as near of kin to General Sterling Price, 
and enjoj^ed the full confidence and trust of that 
great captain. Hughes had been with General 
Price through the Mexican War, and the tw^o 
men understood and loved each other as brothers. 
At the battle of Pea Ridge, when Slack fell, mor- 
tally wounded. Price, who seldom made mistakes 
in choosing men for arduous duties, assigned 
Hughes to the place of the fallen general. Price 
saw^ in Hughes the coming man, and in this Price 
and Doniphan saw alike. 

But Hughes was more than a rising general. 
He tvas a graceful writer as w ell, and, had he live.l, 
would have done for Price's army what Edwards 
did for Shelby's division — chronicled in classic 
English its achievements. Hughes was already 
an author of note when the war began. After the 
battle of. Pea Ridge, Hughes followed his great 
kinsman to assist in the operations against Grant 
and Halleck at Corinth. In one month he was di- 
rected by the Confederate Government at Rich- 
mond to return to Missouri and raise a brigade, 
which meant a generalship to him. He was 
on this mission, making his way to northwestern 
Missouri, when he brought together, near Lee's 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 343 

Summit, the forces of Thompson, Hays, and 
Qiiantrell, and planned so skillfully the battle of 
Independence. 

Colonel Hughes was one of the leaders of polit- 
ical sentiment in northwestern Missouri, in the 
years preceding the war between the States. He 
had been a Whig all his life, until the Whig party 
became dominated by Knownothingism, when he 
acted with the Democrats, because the violent and 
radical assaults of the leaders of the then form- 
ing Republican party on the Constitution, as be- 
ing "a league with hell and a covenant with the 
devil,'' because it recognized the institution of 
slavery, made it impossible for him to act with 
them. He was a member of the State convention 
that sent delegates to the National Democratic 
Convention in 1860, the most stormy political 
assemblage, perhaps, that ever met in Missouri — 
one which none but the master hand of Sterling 
Price could control. He had strong, positive, and 
clearly defined views on all the questions then 
agitating the public mind, and expressed them 
with great force and energy, but was at all times 
perfectly courteous and considerate of the sensi- 
bilities of those who held different views, and ^o 
thoroughly was he master of his own spirit 
that, no matter where he maintained his cause, 
whether on the street, at the fireside, on the hust- 
ings, or in the forum, he was never known to over- 
step the bounds of courtesy, or to make use of any 
language that could justly wound the feelings or 



344 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

startle the self-respect of those who did not agree 
with him. He was a strong and ardent advocate 
of the Union, and opposed every attempt made in 
the direction of taking Missouri out of the Union. 
He opposed calling a convention to consider the 
question, and when it was called, he advocated 
with all his strength and energy the election of 
the delegates, who opposed secession. 

He held a commission as colonel in the Mis- 
souri State Guards, which was the State Militia 
at that time. When the convention which was 
called under the just and concurrent resolution 
introduced into and carried through the Missouri 
Legislature by Geo. G. Vest, to consider the ques- 
tion of secession, after deciding that Missouri 
would stay in the Union, usurped the whole power 
of the State Government and entered upon the 
revolutionary scheme of ousting from office not 
only the governor, but the members of the Legis- 
lature and Senate, the supreme judges and circuit 
judges, and all other State officers, and thus over- 
turn the State Government which had been regu- 
larly elected by the people under the laws and 
Constitution, and being called on by the governor, 
he moved the troops under his command and took 
his place alongside of that brave and noble band 
of patriots who fought for the maintenance of 
good order, and resisted to the uttermost the rev- 
olution inaugurated by the Gamble convention, 
and supported by the Federal troops stationed in 
Missouri, and who were used by designing poli- 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 345 

ticians to precipitate a conflict between the State 
and Federal troops. Up to the time of his death, 
he had achieved many brilliant successes and had 
earned for himself and his men an enviable repu- 
tation for daring courage and hard fighting; and 
he was universally loved by his men for his jus- 
tice and humanity. 

Captain TF. F. Wilkins, A.M., M.D. 

If success is measured by varied and useful ex- 
periences and if classical scholarship is the adorn- 
ment of a career, we shall find a model by review- 
ing the life of William F. Wilkins. Dr. Wil- 
kins is a scholar, a writer, an orator, and a shin- 
ing light in the medical profession. He has stood 
at the head of schools and colleges; he has found- 
ed medical institutes; he has made eminent dis- 
coveries in medical science; he has received de- 
grees from universities and colleges; he is a lin- 
guist, a scientist, a doctor of law, and a doctor 
of medicine; he wears the scars of a veteran of 
our Civil War, 'and he is the originator of the 
Blues and Grays. 

It was in keeping with modern progress that 
a man of his broad attainments and liberal views 
should originate the Blues and Grays. When Dr. 
Wilkins was a young man, the great Civil War 
arose to harass our unhappy land; he saw the 
North and South clutch at each other's throats 
and struggle frantically for each other's undoing 

23 



346 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

through four bloody years. After peace came, 
the hot passions of strife still rankled and ruled 
in the hearts of men. ' The great captain of the 
conquering hosts in that terrible war said, as he 
threw down his sword: ^'Let us have peace.'' 
But full and perfect peace comes only in the 
hearts of men. As the years rolled away and the 
shadows lengthened, those who had worn the blue 
and those who had worn the gray softened toward 
each other. The old enemies were friends once 
more. Why not bring them together in a formal 
and fraternal association? Dr. Wilkins took th's 
to heart and evolved a great plan. The central 
idea was an amalgamation of all the camps of the 
Confederate Association with all the posts of the 
G. A. R, as the States had been reunited. The 
Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of 
Veterans were to be absorbed also into the Blues 
and Grays. The new order was to accomplish 
more for the veterans of both sides than could be 
accomplished separately by the respective but 
independent organizations. Dr. Wilkins called 
around him a few veterans in Kansas City, liberal- 
minded men, who had fought — some for the North 
and some for the South. They issued a call for a 
meeting of the "Veterans of the War of the Rebel- 
lion." The meeting was held at Lab )r Hall, June 
22, 1898. Major Blake L. Woodson presided at 
this meeting. Permanent organization was ef- 
fected by electing Major W. F. Winfield, president 
of the association; Captain R. D. Bledsoe was 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 347 

elected vice-president, Captain H. Clay Nichols 
secretary, Capain N. P. Laforge treasurer. A 
committee, consisting of W. F. Wilkins, N. P. La- 
forge, Thos. B. Turner, and I. T. Elmore, was ap- 
pointed to draft a constitution and by-laws. At 
the next meeting a large number of veterans pre- 
sented themselves for membership, and in a short 
time the number of names on the roster reached 
into the thousands. 

This sketch is meant to be a short biography 
of Dr. Wni. F. Wilkins, and not a history of the 
Blu^s and Grays, founded by him. Dr. Wilkins 
was born in Branch County, Michigan, in 1848. 
He moved with his parents at the age of seven to 
Illinois, where he lived on a farm and attended 
district schools in the winter. He attended the 
High School at Danville, 111., spent a year at 
Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Mich., and com- 
pleted his literary education in 1869 by graduat- 
ing from Miami University, Oxford, O. He then 
took up the study, of law in Chicago, and, advanc- 
ing rapidly in this study as he did in all studies, 
he was soon admitted to the bar. Afterwards he 
turned his attention to teaching and traveling. 
He holds life certificates of the highest grade in 
ten States, in all of which he has lived and held 
positions in high schools, seminaries, and colleges. 

During the great Civil War both Dr. Wilkins 
and his father were members of the 125th Illinois 
Infantry, and served for three years and four 
months. His father was surgeon of his regiment, 



348 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

and the son became assistant to the brigade sur- 
geon. Dr. William F. Wilkins entered the service 
as a private, and was several times wounded. At 
the battle of Chickamauga he received a wound in 
the thigh, and at Buzzard's Eoost, Georgia, in the 
head. He was taken to the hospital, and, upon 
his recovery, was made assistant to the brigade 
surgeon, and continued to act in that capacity 
until the close of the war. 

Dr. Wilkins won his shoulder-straps during 
the war, and a long and fulsome story might be 
written of him. I am content, however, to close 
this review by adopting the subjoined excerpt 
from the "History of Jackson County," prefacing 
the quotation with the remark that Dr. Wilkins is 
a man of vast learning: 

"Since 1887 he has been numbered among the 
most progressive of the profession in Kansas City. 
He is now professor of the principles and practice 
of medicine in the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons of Kansas City, Kas., having, with nine oth- 
ers, founded that college in 1894-5; is professor of 
physiology and histology in the Kansas City Col- 
lege of Dental Surgery, and acting presicfent of 
the same; and is a charter member of the Kansas 
City Society of Physicians and Surgeons. The 
degrees of B.A., B.S., A.M., M.S., and M.D. have 
been conferred upon him. In 1887 he received the 
degree of Master of Arts from the Miami Univer- 
sity, of Oxford, Ohio, of which R. W. McFarland, 
A.M., LL.D., is president; and in June, 1894, he 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 349 

received notice that the faculty of Miami Univer- 
sity had conferred upon him the degree of Master 
of Science, in recognition of the merit of the thesis 
presented in an article on ^The Effects of Alco- 
hol on Man,' which was published by the New 
York Medical Journal in September, 1894. 

"On the 25th of September, 1878, Dr. Wilkins 
was united in marriage with Miss Josephine Wil- 
hite, daughter of Captain J. H. Wilhite, of the 
bloody 7th Kansas Cavalry, and Elizabeth Wil- 
hite, of Ottawa, Kas. They haVe two children, 
Mary E. and Edith. The doctor and his wife are 
members of the Baptist Church. He is a Master 
Mason, an Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias, and 
medical examiner in the Knights and Ladies of 
Honor. He is also surgeon in the Grand Army of 
the Eepublic, an officer in the Sons of Veterans, 
court physician of the Ancient Order of Forest- 
ers, and medical examiner in the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen. In politics he is a free- trade 
Democrat, and in favor of attending to the affairs 
of the United States and letting the rest of the 
world take care of themselves.'' 

Colonel W. F. Cloud. 

The hero of two wars who bears this cogno- 
men first saw the light in Ohio in 1825, being 
of combined Virginia and Maryland parentage. 
Running the gauntlet of backwoods and unen- 
dowed conditions, he had but- a common-school 
education; and, at the age of fifteen, entered the 



^^0 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MI8S0URIANS. 

ranks of the bread-winners as apprentice to a 
tailor, which art had attained an excellence hard- 
ly expected when p]ve in the garden first fash- 
ioned a garment. When the Mexican War was 
on, Colonel Cloud volunteered and became a sol- 
dier for Uncle Sam; being a sergeant in Company 
K, 2d Ohio Infantry. 

He served with General Taylor on the Rio 
Grande line, and performed garrison and escort 
duty up to Buena Vista, which ended fighting on 
that line. 

That service in Mexico qualified Colonel Cloud 
for duty as a soldier when the great struggle for 
the right of secession began in 1861. Colonel 
Cloud at that time was a citizen of Kansas, resid- 
ing in Emporia. When President Lincoln called 
for 75,000 volunteers. Colonel Cloud organized a 
company and entered the 2d Kansas Infantry. 
His tender for service was made to Governor Rob- 
inson in advance of any other company; but the 
First Kansas completed its regimental organiza- 
tion before Colonel Cloud could report for duty. 
Before the Second had its ranks full and before 
equipments were furnished, it was called into the 
field by General Lyon, and as part of that gener- 
al's force entered the campaign in Missouri. Col. 
Cloud, then major, took part in the battle of Wil- 
son Creek and received special mention in the 
reports. Of the results of that battle there are 
various views, reports, and claims. The Confed- 
erates finally held the field, but how and when? 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 351 

Colonel Cloud's command held the extreme rio^ht 
of the line, fought in the very hist of the scattered 
attacks of that very peculiar battle, and re])ulsed 
the last attack. Then, when everything was quiet 
and the Second, with detachments from other 
commands, w^ere victors for the time, an order 
came from Major Sturgis, who had succeeded to 
the command at the death of Lyon, which was: 
"You will retire from the field when you can do 
so with safety." Under this order the command 
fell back, without molestation, and joined Sturgis 
in his retreat to Springfield. 

Colonel Cloud was promoted to the command 
of the 10th Kansas Infantry, and transferred to 
the 2d Kansas Cavalry, and in the summer of 1865 
he commanded the 15th Kansas Cavalry against 
the Indians, having headquarters at Fort Larned, 
and was finally discharged in October, 1865, after 
four and a half years of service. During these 
years he had the duties of commanding troops in 
the field, of commanding a brigade of the district 
of southwestern Missouri, of the district of north- 
Avestern Arkansas, with headquarters at Fort 
Smith, and of the district of the upper Arkansas 
in Kansas. Commencing his battle experience at 
Wilson Creek, he engaged in the fights at Cane 
Hill, Prairie Grove, DeviPs Backbone, Darda- 
nelle, Camden, and Jenkins' Ferry in Arkansas, 
and in mau}^ skirmishes and raids in Missouri, and 
finishing with the battle of Mine Creek in Kansas. 
His services were entirely in the Trans-Missis- 



352 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

sippi Department. He came into conflict with 
many of Missouri's distinguished officers and sol- 
diers, giving and receiving hard blows, each 
respectively for his confirmed convictions. He 
makes no complaint of discourtesy shown his men 
when prisoners of war with Missourians, and has 
no fear of censure for the spirit and practice of 
his administration in any of the rather extensive 
jurisdictions which he held. 

Though at the front and exposed, he never was 
wounded, and while mainly acting on the aggres- 
sive, he yet found himself so far to the front in 
some of his raids that a judicious retreat became- 
a military necessity. 

Of this man it has been justly remarked that 
he carried his religion into practical life, and that 
an oath or any irreverent or blasphemous or vul- 
gar word or expression never marred his influ- 
ence, and that no spirits or intoxicants were in- 
dulged in. 

At the age of seventy-five he has remarkable 
vitality of body and mind, and, with a satisfaction 
which is almost an exuberant joy, looks upon the 
completely reunited people of the United States 
as reward for any inability to name himself a 
coupon-clipper. 

Colonel Cloud has published a book, ^^Mexico 
under X-Kays; or, Mexican Politics from Cortez 
to Diaz," which displays an excessive research 
and a wonderful ability of condensation of all the 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 353 

important facts in the historic tragedies of the 
Mexican national existence. 

General Gideon W. Thompson. 

General Thompson entered the service as a 
private. His neighbors, near Barry, on the county 
line between Platte and Clay, organized into a 
company and he enlisted. Only one name was 
proposed for captain, and Gideon W. Thompson 
was surprised to find himself unanimously elected 
to the head of the company. He accepted the 
responsibility without hesitation. He marched 
straight to Lexington, and in the three-days siege 
he and his followers became veterans and fully 
prepared for the stern work ahead of them. 

Captain Thompson had been a successful farm- 
er and trader; he knew nothing of the practical 
science of Avar. But the battle of Lexington re- 
vealed his aptitude for military service, and after 
the surrender of Mulligan he took the rank of 
major. 

During the winter of 1861-2 Price's army was 
reorganized, and Major Thompson became colonel 
in the State Guards. He participated in all the 
battles and skirmishes on the retreat from Spring- 
field to Cross Hollows and in the great battle of 
Pea Bidge. Then he went to the Cis-Mississippi 
Department, but saw no service there. Kecross- 
ing the river, accompanied by Major Hart, he 
arrived at Van Buren, Ark., on his way back to 



354 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES ^OF MISS0VRIAN8. 

Missouri. General Hindman sent for him and 
gave him a commission in the Confederate serv- 
ice. Then he proceeded to Missouri. At Eureka 
Springs he was joined by Colonel Hughes with 17 
men. This addition swelled his small force to 
100 men. These arrived at the Cowherd farm, 
near Lee's Summit, Mo., where the capture of 
Buell at Independence was decided upon. In this 
engagement Colonel Thompson received a wound 
which shattered one of the bones of his leg. He 
was dragging himself painfully off the field when 
one of his neighbors came to his assistance. A 
Federal horse was secured and the colonel was 
lifted to the saddle. He rode slowly back to the 
public square. Here a bullet whizzed near him, 
shot from the roof of the bank building occupied 
by Buell. Col. Thompson directed Private Green, 
of Clay County, to station himself advantageously 
for picking off the marksman on the roof when he 
should again appear. The duty was well per- 
formed; after the battle, a dead Federal was 
brought down from the roof. 

The battle had now raged for many hours. 
Colonel Hughes had fallen, and nearly a dozen 
other Confederate officers were dead or dying. 
Still the Federals behind the rock fence held out 
and Buell could not be dislodged. At this dark 
moment Colonel Thompson saw one of his pri- 
vates, who had been captured, emerge from Bu- 
ell's headquarters with a sheet of white paper 
stuck on a ramrod. It was a flag of truce and a 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES, 355 

message from Buell. Terms were quickly agreed 
upon, and Buell came out and surrendered to 
Colonel Thompson, actually weeping as he offered 
his sword. The prisoner was then required to 
sign an order, Avliich was dispatched to the Fed- 
erals still fighting behind the stone fence. In a 
few minutes BuelPs entire force was in line before 
Colonel Thompson. At his command every Fed- 
eral threw his gun to the ground. 

Colonel Thompson says he paroled 240 Feder- 
als, about 15 of whom came out of BuelPs head- 
quarters. 

Colonel Thompson was unable to take part in 
the battle of Lone Jack, on account of his wound. 
He was the ranking Confederate officer in the 
State at this time. He enlisted men and officers 
as rapidly as possible, traveling about in the 
ambulance captured from Buell. In about two 
weeks after the battle of Lone Jack, Colonels 
Thompson and Hays proceeded southward to 
Newtouia. 

From now on Colonel Thompson's command 
took a conspicuous part in nearly all the bat- 
tles, campaigns, and raids of Shelby's division of 
Price's armj^ fighting at Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, 
Springfield, Hartsville, Cape Girardeau, Helena, 
Little Bock, Pine Bluffs, and in the remarkable 
and bloody battles with Steele as the latter went 
to and returned from Camden in the summer of 
1864. In the fall of 1804, Colonel Thompson with 
his regiment of veterans marched and fought 



356 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. ^ 



from beginning to end in Price's great raid. He 
surrendered at Shreveport, La. 

Colonel Thompson was born in Todd County, 
Kentucky, February 28, 1823. At the age of two 
and a half years he came with his parents to 
Howard County, Missouri. In early manhood he 
settled in Platte County, near Clay County, where 
he still lives. He has been prosperous and has 
accumulated considerable wealth. 

General Thompson, for he is entitled to this 
rank, is at this time the brigadier general com- 
manding the Western Department of the Missouri 
Ex-Confederate Association. 

W. A. Knight 

W. A. Knight, always known as Gus Knight, 
was born in Henry County, Kentucky, February 
19, 1843. He came with his parents to Kansas 
City in 1849. He was in Rosser's regiment, Mis- 
souri State Guards, at the battle of Lexington. 
After the regiment was divided into infantry 
and cavalry, he was with Colonel Bill Martin's 
regiment of Rains' "Blackberry Cavalry." After- 
wards he entered the Confederate service, at the 
organization of Shelb^^'s brigade, as a private of 
Company B, 2d Missouri Cavalry, better known as 
Shanks' regiment; was in all the fighting around 
Newtonia, Neosho, and Prairie Grove; was in 
Marmaduke's raid to Springfield, Mo., where the 
battle of the 8th of January, 1863, was fought; 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 357 

also at Marshfield, Mo., and Hartsville, Mo.; was 
with Marmaduke's raid to Cape Girardeau, when 
they fought at Patterson and over the entire re- 
treat, ending at St. Francis River; was next at the 
battle of Helena, Ark., on July 4, 1863; was at 
Bayou Meto and Little Rock; was with General 
Jo. Shelby on the raid from Arkadelphia, Ark., to 
the Missouri River, and was continually fighting 
from the Boston Mountains in Arkansas through 
to the Missouri River, at points like Warsaw, Tip- 
ton, Boonville, Arrow Rock, and Marshall, where 
he was captured with Lieutenant Boarman of 
Company A and George Nelson of Kansas City; 
was in Gratiot Street Prison, St. Louis, for seven 
mouths, at Alton, 111., four months, and at Camp 
l)<mglas, Chicago, seven months; was exchanged 
at City Point in February, 1865. 

He then went to Mobile, Ala. On evacuation 
of that place, went to Bob McCulloch's regiment 
under Forrest, at Baldwin, Miss. After the sur- 
render of Lee and Johnson, with fourteen of Shel- 
by's men, crossed the Mississippi sixteen miles 
below Memphis, Tenn.; from there went to Texas 
to go with Shelby to Mexico, but was too late to 
catch up with him; meeting the old brigade on 
their way to Shreveport to surrender, fell into 
ranks with their old companies and returned to 
Kansas City, being gone just four years to a day; 
was never wounded, but thinks he has seen bul- 
lets fall around him thicker than hail. 



358 ^^^^^^'^^ ^^D BIOGRAPHIES OF MIS80URIANS. 

Smmiel H. Chiles. 

Samuel H. Chiles was only sixteen years of age 
when the war broke out. He enlisted as one of 
the Fort Osage Rangers and fought for three 
months under Kains in the State Guards service. 
His father then took him home and put him in 
school. But the militar^^ ardor of young Chiles 
had been aroused, and he ran away from hdme 
and enlisted in Shelby's brigade. He was soon 
transferred to Kuffner's battery, John B. Clark's 
brigade, Parsons' division. He was pleased with 
the artillery service and continued in it to the end. 

Mr. Chiles fought in the battles of Wilson 
Creek, Drywood, Lexington, Pea Ridge, Cane Hill, 
and Prairie Grove. He was in the battles of 
Pleasant Hill and Mansfield, in Louisiana, when 
Banks Avas driven back. His command then 
moved up against Steele, who was retreating 
from Camden to Little Rock. 

At the battle of Jenkins' Ferry, Mr. Chiles was 
wounded. Out of 26 men who served the battery, 
20 were killed and 6 wounded. Mr. Chiles fell 
into the hands of the Federals, and for eleven 
months was a prisoner of war, most of the timg at 
Rock Island, 111. He was paroled after Lee sur- 
rendered; when released, he joined Shelby's expe- 
dition to Mexico. 

Mr. Chiles was about the youngest soldier in 
the Western armies. He was always ready for 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 359 

duty and never failed to be on hand when there 
was fighting to be done. 

Mr. Chiles remained but a short time in Mex- 
ico, and returned to his native place in Jackson 
County, Missouri, where he became a successful 
farmer and stock-raiser. 

In 1896 Mr. Chiles was chosen marshal of Jack- 
son County. His administration of the office was 
satisfactory to the people, and he was reelected 
in 1898 for another term of two years. 

Wm. E. Cas,<icll 

Wm. Cassell saw some of the heaviest battles 
of the war. He was at the Rock Creek affair, 
near Independence, Mo., and fought through the 
campaign of Missouri State Guards, closing this 
service at the great battle of Pea Ridge or Elk 
Horn Tavern. Then he went across th Mississippi 
River and was one of the 800 out of 8,000 who 
w^ere alive at the end of the war. He fought at 
all the great battles of his command, 6th Missouri 
Infantry, Company B, Corinth, luka, the great 
battles around Yicksburg and through the siege 
of Yicksburg. During the siege Company B lost 
27 men in a mirle explosion. Mr. Cassell had 
charge of throwing 6-pound shells with a 5-second 
fuse over the works into the Federal lines. He 
used to light the fuse with a cigar, while Wm. 
Muir tossed the shells (^^er. General Grant of- 
fered a reward for the man who lit the fuse and 



SQO BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISS0URIAN8. 

for the man who threw the shells. At the siej^e 
Mr. Oassell was severely wounded. After the war, 
Mr. Cassell returned to Jackson County. He is a 
prosperous farmer near Leeds. 

Captain Schuyler Lowe. 

Captain Lowe was born in Kentucky in 1834. 
He came to Independence, Mo., in 1855, which has 
been his home ever since. When the war broke 
out, he was captain of the Jackson Guards. With 
his company he entered the State service and 
fought at Wilson Creek, Lexington, and Pea 
Ividge. Then he went across the Mississippi River 
and fought at Corinth and Holly Springs. He 
commanded a battery at the siege of Vicksburg, 
where his guns were in action forty-seven days 
without intermission. One of his guns was the 
famous "Crazy Jane,'' mentioned in Grant's Mem- 
oirs for its deadly work. Captain Lowe was 
wounded at the siege of Vicksburg, which dis- 
abled him for a long time. He was captured after 
being exchanged, and was one of the unfortunate 
600 prisoners placed in front of the works at Mor- 
ris Island, where they were exposed, from day to 
day, to Confederate bullets. 

Captain Turner A. GUI. 

Captain Gill was born in Kentucky, but has 
made Jackson County his home since his thir- 
teenth year. At the age of twenty, at the very 
beginning of the war, he was in the Missouri State 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 3(31 

Guards. He was in the unfortunate affair at Rock 
Creek, near Independence, where Colonel Hollo- 
way was killed by his own men. Captain Gill was 
a private in the battles of Carthage, Wilson Creek, 
and Lexington. He went with Price across the 
Mississippi, was wounded at the battle of Corinth, 
fought at Port Gibson and Champion Hill, and 
throughout the long siege of Yicksburg. After the 
fall of Yicksburg, he was paroled and went to 
Texas, whither his father had gone to escape the 
conditions prevailing in Jackson County, Mis- 
souri. In three months Captain Gill was ex- 
changed; he reported to General Shelby and was 
assigned to duty as adjutant of the 2d Missouri 
Cavalry. Soon after he was made captain of Com- 
pany K, in which capacit}- he served to the end 
of the war. He was through all the campaigns 
and raids of Shelby's division, including Price's 
great raid in 1864. Captain Gill was wounded 
many times: at Corinth, at Yicksburg, Wilson 
Creek, and once at a skirmish in Arkansas. 

After the war, he returned to Kansas City and 
resumed his studies. He began the practice of 
law in 1888 and rose rapidly in his profession; he 
served as mayor of Kansas City, as city counsel- 
or, and as circuit judge. In 1888 he was elected 
judge of the Court of Appeals for a term of twelve 
years. He has declined to be a candidate for 
reelection. 



-24 



^Jg2 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURIANS. 

Colonel John C. Moore. 

Colonel John Courtney Moore, of General Mar- 
maduke's staff, resident now in Kansas City, Mo., 
was born in Tennessee, August 18, 1834. At the 
age of six years he came with his parents to St, 
Louis and was reared there. He attended the 
State University at Columbia, Mo., and was ad- 
mitted to practice law in St. Louis. In 1859 he 
went to Pike's Peak. He Avas elected to the Colo- 
rado Legislature, and was the first mayor of 
Denver. 

When the war broke out, he hastened back to 
Missouri and enlisted in the State Guards under 
Price. He was in Captain Emmet McDonald's St. 
Louis batter}^, in which he served until after the 
battle of Pea Eidge. He went with Price's army 
across the Mississippi Kiver. After some service 
there he returned to the Trans-Mississippi Depart- 
ment in time to take part as voluntary aid on the 
staff of Colonel Shaver, in the battle of Prairie 
Grove. In the spring of 1863 he was invited to a 
position on the staff of his old friend and school- 
fellow. General Marmaduke. This position he 
held until the battle of Mine Creek, when his chief 
was captured. After the termination of Price's 
raid, General Magruder appointed Colonel Moore 
to the position of judge advocate general of the 
district of Arkansas, a position he held for six 
months. Early in the spring of 1865 he was sent, 
with the rank of colonel, into northern Arkansas 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 363 

to raise a force for another invasion of Missouri. 
He had raised one regiment and parts of others, 
when news came that Lee had surrendered. Gen- 
eral Jeff Thompson announced that he would sur- 
render northern Arkansas and everything in that 
region the next day. Colonel Moore did not want 
to be included, and therefore hastened beyond the 
Arkansas Kiver. After leaving the Arkansas 
Eiver he was informed that the '^Mountain Boom- 
ers," or Union bushwhackers, were in ambuscade 
at a place called The Narrows. He divided his 
force and surprised the "Boomers,-' whom he pun- 
ished in a severe battle. This was late in June, 
18G5, and the battle was probably the last one 
fought by regular Confederate soldiers. Colonel 
Moore tried ineffectually to join Price and Shelby 
in Mexico. He returned to Missouri, and in ISG'B 
he and Charles Dougherty founded the Kansas 
City Times. 

Colonel John Nelson Southeni. 

Colonel John N. Southern, the well-known at- 
torney of Independence, Mo., was born in Tennes- 
see in 1855. His first service in the war was in 
1861, when he furnished supplies to the Confeder- 
ate soldiers in his native State. In April, 1862, he 
enlisted as a private in Company I, 59th Tennes- 
see Infantry. He saw service under Generals 
Kirby Smith, Bragg, Pemberton, and Longstreet, 
and he took part in the principal campaigns con- 
ducted by these leaders. He was assigned special 



364 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF .MISSOURI AN 8. 

command in front of the trenches at Vicksbnr^, 
but was a non-commissioned officer. He was gen- 
erally detached on special duty. 

In 1864, by order of General Longstreet, he 
was scouting in the rear of Schofield's corps when 
he was captured. He attempted to escape and 
was shot in the hip. The wound disabled him for 
life. He was in the hospital at Bristol, Tennessee, 
when the war closed. 

Colonel Southern came to Independence in 
1868, and for more than ten years was editor and 
manager of the Independence Sentinel. He after- 
wards spent some time as special editorial writer 
for the Kansas City Times, and then took up his 
profession, the law, in which he had been edu- 
cated before the war. Since then he has enjoyed 
an extensive and lucrative practice. 

He lives in a fine residence east of Independ- 
ence, and has an interesting family of grown-up 
boys and girls. One of his sons, John Southern, 
Jr., M.D., is a practicing physician; another son, 
the youngest, Allen Southern, has just been ad- 
mitted to the bar; while still another son, Wm. N. 
Southern, Jr., is editor and manager of the Jack- 
son Examiner, published at Independence, Mo. 

Captain A. A, Lesueur. 

Captain Lesueur was born in St. Louis in 1842. 
At the age of eighteen he entered the State Guard 
service at Camp Jackson, in Captain Kelly's com- 
pany. Two days before the camp was captured 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 365 

by Lyon, this company had been ordered to Jeffer- 
son City to guard the undistributed portion of the 
120 tons of powder which had been stored there. 
His company, therefore, was not captured, and 
was probably the very first company in the State 
on duty after hostilities actually began. The com- 
pany became a part of General Parsons' division 
of Price's army soon after the Boonville affair. 
Young Lesueur rose to the rank of sergeant-major 
of his battalion. At Cassville he was the prime 
mover in organizing an artillery company; he was 
soon at the head of this organization, which 
became famous as Lesueur's battery. Captain 
Lesueur fought at Boonville, Carthage, Wilson 
Creek, Lexington, Pea Eidge, Cane Hill, Prairie 
Grove, and Helena. At the latter battle he was 
wounded. He was with his command at the bat- 
tles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and at all the 
other battles and skirmishes against Banks' expe- 
dition up I\ed River. After Banks retreated, Cap- 
tain Lesueur's command arrived in front of Cam- 
den, opened the battle against Steele, and other- 
wise assisted in driving that commander back to 
Little Rock. 

After the w^ar. Captain Lesueur settled at 
Lexington, Mo., and engaged in the newspaper 
business. He served one term in the Legislature, 
and in 1888 was elected Secretary of State; was 
reelected in 1892, and again in 1896. 

Captain Lesueur is an able writer. He is edi- 



366 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OF MISSOURI AN S. 

tor of the Kansas City Times, being one of the pro- 
prietors of that journal. 

Captain Stephen Carter Bagan. 

Captain Ragan was born in Kentucky, but was 
reared at Kansas City, Mo. Just before the war 
broke out he moved to Texas. He enlisted in the 
Texas State Militia and was elected captain of 
Company A, in Colonel Griffin's regiment. After 
serving about one year, he resigned and raised a 
company for the Confederate service, and pro- 
ceeded to the Cis-Mississippi Department. He 
declined a promotion in order to remain with the 
^'boys.-' He led his company through some of the 
greatest battles of the war, and fought at Farm- 
ington, Corinth, Chickamauga, and in the opera- 
tions against Sherman. Captain Eagan's war 
record is one worthy of any man's pride. In 1864 
he returned to Texas and was made adjutant of 
the post at Dallas, a position he was holding at 
the close of the war. 

In 1866 he returned to Jackson County, and 
for a time engaged in farming. He was elected to 
the Legislature in 1878, and again in 1882. He 
was appointed deputy county marshal in 1896 by 
County Marshal Samuel H. Chiles, a position he 
still holds. 

Major II. J. Yivian. 

Among the few who went to the front from 
Kansas City and stood with the S luth were Major 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 3g7 

Jack Vivian, Giis Knight, Wash Thompson, Spen- 
cer McCoy, Jim Fisher, Geo. Nelson, and Wm. 
Todd. These made up a part of the Kansas City 
mess. 

Major Vivian took part in such stirring en- 
gagements as the battles of Pea Eidge, Independ- 
ence, Lone Jack, Cane Hill, Helena, Mark's Mills, 
etc. He was on all of Shelby's raids to the Mis- 
souri River, and in all the battles and skirmishes 
against Steele in his Camden expedition; and, fi- 
nally, was on Price's great raid in 1864. 

After the battle of Pea Eidge, which ended the 
services of the Missouri State Guards,*Major Viv- 
ian went with Price's command to Memphis. He 
and Wash Thompson, brother of Colonel Gideon 
Thompson, and who fell at Lone Jack, obtained 
permission of General Price to return to the 
Trans-Mississippi Department, where the.];, joined 
Colonel G. W. Thompson, wh(/was about to start 
with a small force on a recruiting expedition to 
Missouri, marked by the battles of Independence 
and Lone Jack. ^ 

At the battle of Independence the major had 
his horse shot from under him just as the com- 
mand was ordered to dismount at the public 
square. After the battle had raged for five hours 
at the rock fence west of town, the troops were or- 
dered to remount, the horses having been brought 
doAvn for that purpose. Vivian, being afoot, 
looked about for a Federal horse, and found one 
tied by a rope to a tree, without bridle or saddle, 



368 BATTLES AND BIOGRAPHIES OE 3IISS0VRIANS. 

which he mounted. As the troops rode toward 
town a Federal volley frightened his horse, which 
ran away and back in among the Federals. He 
asked a Federal to place the rope in the horse's 
mouth for him, and then he rode coolly away, 
Before reaching the square, he came across a Fed- 
eral cavalryman and took a bridle and saddle 
from him. 

In the battle of Lone Jack he was captured, 
together with two or three comrades who were 
instantly shot, a fate which Major Vivian escaped 
by failure of a Federal pistol to fire and by the 
timely arrival of a Federal officer. He informed 
his captors that such treatment of Confederate 
prisoners would soon be avenged, as Col. Coffee 
was momentarily expected to arrive with rein- 
forcements. This was possibly the first intimation 
the Federals had as to whom they were fight- 
ing. The prisoner was ordered to headquarters 
at double-quick, a pace he refused to go. At this 
moment a Kebel fusillade afforded him an oppor- 
tunity to escape. He ran into the cornfield east 
of where he had been fighting all the morning, 
receiving a bullet in the arm as he ran. He found 
a Federal horse running loose, which he mounted. 
This brought him into prominent view of the Fed- 
erals. Amid a shower of bullets he escaped to his 
friends. After the battle. Colonel G. W. Thomp- 
son ordered him to take command of Captain 
Grooms' company, as Grooms had been disabled 
by a wound. He succeeded regularly in a short 



OTHER BIOGRAPHIES. 369 

time to the captaincy of Grooms' company, a posi- 
tion he held until he became major in Shanks' 
regiment At the battle of Lone Jack, Captain 
Grooms' company lost 42 out of 65, killed or se- 
verely wounded. 

At the battle of Cane Hill the major was se- 
verely wounded in the running fight of that day. 
He refused to dismount for fear of falling into the 
hands of the Federals. He continued in the sad- 
dle for two hours and then traveled all night in 
an ambulance to Van Buren. His wound was not 
dressed until next morning. The surgeon said he 
could not live. When the wounded who were able 
to travel were ordered removed upon the approach 
of the Federals, Major Vivian was considered un- 
able to go. But he was determined not to fall 
into the enemy's hands. Against the advice of 
his surgeon, he was removed with the others to 
the hospital at Dardanelle. He was wounded 
again at the battle of Helena. 

Major Vivian was born in Howard County, 
Missouri, but was reared partly in Saline County 
and partly in Platte County. He came to Kansas 
City in 1857, whither he leturned after the war. 
He resided there until about 1872, when he was 
married to Miss Lewtie Summers, after which he 
lived in Clay County on his farm until a few years 
ago, when he again removed to Kansas City, 
where he still lives. 

He lost a brother in the Confederate Army — 
Paul Vivian — who was wounded in a skirmish at 
Granby and died two weeks later at Springfield. 



THE UNSUNG HERO. 

Oh, they sing of the brave 

On the foam-capped wave | 

And the deeds he did at sea, 
When he fought with his might 
In a bold sea-fight 

And vanquished the enemy. 

And they sing the song 
Of the soldier strong 

And his prowess upon the land, 
How his sword he would wield 
On the battle-field. 

In quelling a rebel band. 

But the victory 
Of the brave at sea. 

With his dauntless heart and bold, 
And the war he waged 
While the tempest raged 

Was no greater than that untold. 

Of the hero who fell 
'Mid the rattling hell 

Of shot and burning flame — 
Whose life went out 
With the battle-shout, 

But who left no sounding name. 

But the glories of war 
For the living are, — 

And not for the dead who fail! 
What matter, though 
Brave hearts lie low? 
All glory and praise and honor go 

To the living who tell the tale. 

Mrs. W. L. Webb. 



I 
I 




CAPT. A. A. LESUEUR 
(See page 366.) 




COL. \V. F. CLOUD, 2d KANvSAS CAVALRY. 
(See page M9.) 




JOSHPII M. LOWE. 
(See page 340.) 




MAJOR CALKH WINFREY, M.D. 
(See Pap'e ;>28,) 




C.1;n. G. W. THOMPSON. 
(See page C53.) 




CAl'T \V. K. WILKIN-S, A.M., MD- 
(See page 345 ) 




m^p^-' 



MAJOR H. J, VIVIAN. 
(See page 367.) 




CAPT. S. C. RAG AN, 
(See page 367.) 



I 

I 




COL. UPTON HAYS. 
(See page 322.) 



i 




CAPT. HKNRY V. P. KABRICK. 
(See page 334.) 




CAPT. R. L. yeagf;r. 

( vSee page oSl.): 



I 





MAJOR B L. WOODSON. 
(See page 333.) 




? 



w^-. 



^ 



I^IKUT. HOPKINS HARUIN 
(See page 337.) 




SAM'L H. CHIIvES. 
(See page 358.) 



I 







COI,. JOHN N. SOUTHKKN. 
(See page ot34.) 



I 




I 



GEN. JOHN T. HUGHES. 
(See page 348 



1 




COL. JOHN B. STONK. 
See page oAS. ) 




COL. HI BIvKDSOH, 
(See page 316 ) 



r - 



